


Divided Connections

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Abduction, Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Betrayal, Bleeding, Case, Cold, CyberLife, Damaged, Darkness, Dreams, Fever, Gen, Hidden - Freeform, Hurt, Kidnapping, Memory Loss, Mistakes, Mystery, Near Death, Nightmares, Past, Recover, Regret, Remorse, Rescue, Rest, Secrets, Storm - Freeform, Truth, Weather, Whump, Wounded, blizzard, bullet, heal, ill, injured, saved - Freeform, shot, sick, twist - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 124,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29773200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: The night of the Raid and the Revolution take an unexpected turn as the shooting at the church ends differently for Connor and Markus.  With an alternate chance at life as a free deviant Connor heals from his injuries and chooses to become a private detective working to aid his people, only to slowly uncover deeper and darker secrets lurking all throughout Detroit.  With Hank's help Connor will finally get the answers that CyberLife and those tied with the company have been trying to hide, and learn about his own hidden past that exposes secrets he didn't expect.*Will take prompts soon*
Relationships: Father and Son - Hank and Connor, Father and Son - Relationship
Comments: 89
Kudos: 40





	1. The Revolution

It seemed so simple.

The mission, the final outcome, his orders...

It all seemed so simple and easily obtainable. And yet, despite his previous self assurances and all of his confidence, Connor found himself unable to obey his direct orders. The mission was at stake, as was Connor's very existence. All he needed to do was subdue the deviant leader and bring him to CyberLife for an analysis. Taking in Markus alive was still possible, stopping the Revolution was still possible, even preventing the further spread of deviancy was still possible. It all fell onto Connor's shoulders and his final decision and in that moment, his gun aimed at the heart of the deviant leader and his brown eyes filled with conflict and confusion, Connor couldn't move.

Having risked everything to locate the enigmatic Jericho and the deviant leader himself Connor had entered the cabin of the partially submerged freighter sitting in the freezing harbor and drew his weapon on Markus as he kept he back exposed to the doorway. Announcing his presence and his intentions Connor watched as Markus turned to face him, his own brown eyes locking on Markus's mismatched green and blue eyes, and aimed his weapon at Markus's heart; his finger hovering warily over the trigger as he demanded that Markus surrender and come with him without any resistance.

"I've been ordered to take you alive," Connor confirmed as Markus turned to acknowledge his presence. "but I won't hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice."

Eyeing first Connor and then the gun Markus took a single step forward as he questioned the android's motives. "What are you doing?" Pausing as he locked onto the other android's eyes Markus tried to reason with Connor and stop the violence before it began. "You are one of us... You can't betray your own people."

Those words, those beliefs, spoken with passion and sincerity caused Connor's software to destabilize as he felt the conflict welling up inside of him.

Refusing to fail in his mission Connor held fast and replied in a sharp tone as he kept his weapon aimed. "You're coming with me!"

"You're nothing to them." Taking another step forward Markus tried to convince this other android to side with his own people and turn his back on his human superiors ordering him about. "You're just a tool they use to do their dirty work." Seeing the conflict in the other android's brown eyes Markus tried to coax him into siding with Jericho. "But you're more than that. We're _all_ more than that."

Unsure of what to say or even how to react Connor remained silent.

"Our cause is righteous, and we are more than what they say." Pushing harder Markus attempted to reach down inside of Connor's growing heart and pull his deviancy to the surface; to break down the red walls of obedience that held Connor's true heart captive. "All we want is to live in freedom."

Software destabilizing and internal conflict growing Connor struggled to adapt to the changes of heart he was inexplicably feeling. Silenced and torn by the strange new feelings, the emotions that he should have never been able to feel to begin with, Connor just stared at Markus as he said nothing in return.

"Have you never wondered who you really are?" Markus questioned as he studied the android's responses and his eyes very closely as he took yet another step forward to close the distance. "Whether you're just a machine executing a program or... A living being," his words were true and destabilized the other android's program quickly. "capable of reason."

Connor was as silent as the falling snow that covered the exterior of Jericho on that fateful dark, cold night.

"I think the time has come for you to ask yourself that question." Sensing that he was reaching the other android Markus made one final attempt to rally the stranger into joining Jericho and the other deviants taking shelter within the ship. "Join us. Join your people." Urging the silenced android into making the right choice Markus reached out to him in a civil and empathetic manner that destabilized Connor's software entirely. "You are one of us. Listen to your conscience..." Pushing hard Markus put it all on the line for the other android standing before him. "It's time to decide."

Lost. Confused. Perturbed.

The conflicted android just stared at Markus for a moment as his destabilized software weakened just long enough for Connor to make that decision. To finally decide who he is and what he wanted to become.

The red walls commanding his every move, the crimson barriers of obedience that bound Connor's heart and enslaved his every movement and breath under CyberLife's control, rose up before his eyes. Without any hesitation or doubt Connor tore down those walls with his bare hands, shattering the projected red barriers into shards of projected data and lost code.

Feeling his heart for the first time now thundering in his chest Connor's stoic facade became expressive with conflict and pain as his shaking hands lowered the gun from Markus's chest. He took in fast cleansing breaths to try to calm his now frazzled nerves as his mind cleared.

Watching as the life, the emotion and the heart that the other android was trying to deny finally shine forth in his now soulful brown eyes, Markus waited for the other android to respond to his freedom. He waited for him to begin living as a deviant amongst their own people.

Lowering his weapon, his heart pounding, his breathing rapid and the sense of betrayal toward Amanda; his handler and connection to CyberLife weighing in his mind, Connor's eyes fell to the metal floor of the ship's cabin as the conflict within him threatened to tear apart his newly discovered heart and his conscience compelled him to warn Markus of the impending disaster sure to follow.

Having become deviant had disabled Connor's tracking device, but not before the F.B.I. who had also been searching for Jericho honed in on his current location. Sensing their arrival and knowing that they'd show no mercy Connor informed Markus of the threat with a warning that was heavy with misplaced guilt and even mild fear. "...They're going to attack Jericho."

The response was not one Markus was expecting to hear. "What?"

The sound of helicopters and droned now circling overhead drew Connor's eyes upward toward the ceiling of the cabin where he new the airborne vehicles were hovering above the ship. Markus followed the sound as well and realized that the entire ship was now being surrounded by authority figures who saw androids and deviants as nothing but vermin; a plague against humanity that needed to be exterminated.

Recognizing the severity of the situation Connor glanced about warily and urged Markus to flee for his life and to protect their people. "We have to get out of here!"

"...Shit."

Running through the cabin past Connor to get to the opened door Markus charged through the gently falling snow and into the depths of the freighter to warn his people. Connor rushed after him to aid in any way that he could. A helicopter and police drone began to circle lower and lower as the F.B.I. sent U.S. army soldiers into the freighter to flush out the hiding deviants and gun them down in cold blood.

* * *

From within the depths of the freighter Kara, who had been sitting with Alice and Luther; Alice being the young child in her care and Luther their ally in their mutual quest for freedom, sensed danger was approaching. As her blue eyes filled with fear Kara looked upward as if she could somehow see the helicopters, drones and armed men encroaching on the freighter from all sides.

Luther noticed her behavior and inquired accordingly. "What's going on, Kara?"

Reacting quickly Kara rose from where she was sitting as she pulled on Alice's hand and did the same for Luther as she warned her friends of the impending threat. "Quick, we have to get out of here!"

* * *

As the soldiers converged on the deviant sanctuary from outside the freighter the deviants inside Jericho began to flee and attempt to either escape or hide from the dangerous humans approaching with guns. Racing into the heart of the metal vessel with Connor right behind him Markus reunited with North, his trusted ally in regard to leading their people to safety, and was quickly informed of what was happening as North reported everything she had either witnessed or been told by other deviants attempting to elude the armed men.

"They're coming from all sides!" She was on edge but not panicking as she spoke with Markus in the heart of Jericho's body. "Our people are trapped in the hold, they're going to be slaughtered!"

Remaining calm Markus pressed his right forefinger tips to right temple and closed his mismatched eyes as he sent a cybernetic alert to the other deviants to warn them, and instruct them on where to go and what to do. ' _There are exits on the second and third floor_. _Find them and jump into the river_!'

Opening his eyes Markus glanced about and took notice that his other two allies; Simon, who often took a neutral outlook on their options and Josh, who often encouraged complete pacifism, were nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Simon? A-And Josh?"

"I don't know," North admitted in a somewhat worried voice as she remained honest with Markus. "we got separated."

Warning North of the danger above Markus readied to make his next move to locate his missing allies and lead everyone else to safety. "They're coming from the upper deck now, too." The sound of approaching footsteps from the surrounding corridors put Markus on his guard. "We'll be caught in the crossfire."

"We have to run, Markus!" Knowing that their options were severely limited North offered the only logical move they had left. "There's nothing we can do!"

There was one other choice left to be made and Markus knew it needed to be done. "We have to blow up Jericho." Making a move to rush down the correct corridor to get down to the hull Markus explained his reasons smoothly. "If the ship goes down they'll evacuate, and our people can escape."

"You'll never make it!" The decision, while bold, was reckless. "The explosives are all the way down in the hold, there are soldiers everywhere!"

Having software and programming designed to adapt and preconstruct numerous potential outcomes told Connor that North was right. The odds of success were too low to let Markus try to take the chance. "She's right. They know who you are." The deviant detective elaborated in a grim voice. "They'll do anything to get you!"

Undeterred Markus ordered North and now Connor to go and protect the deviants, and guide them to safety. "Go and help the others." Taking another step back Markus readied himself to race down into the depths as quickly as possible. "I'll join you later."

North was very much against the plan. "Markus, don't-"

"I won't be long."

As Markus rushed off into the depths of the freighter locate their explosives Connor and North ran off side by side to locate the other deviants and guide them to exits of the ship, and away from the gunfire. The compulsion to help his people and to prove himself worthy of his deviancy and the prospect of freedom forced Connor to continue to step forward as he followed North to the second floor of the ship, just below the deck where the armed soldiers had positioned themselves in order to execute as many deviants as possible.

"Where are the other deviants?" Connor asked as he and North located a corridor that connected directly to an exit of the freighter; the doorway was originally used to load cargo through a ramp and into the ship when it was previously operational. "We can't be the only ones left."

"They're trapped further down." North explained as she cybernetically connected to her allies to keep tabs on everyone's location. "We can't get to them, but Markus still can."

"Then we'll hold our ground here and ensure everyone gets off of this ship."

"Who are you anyway?" Connor was a complete stranger to her, and in that moment North needed a damn good reason to trust him. "Why are you helping Markus?"

"My name is Connor." Introducing himself in a low tone Connor gave North a timid glance. "...I'm here to help."

"North!" From the end of the corridor a male blond deviant came rushing toward her as if he had been attempting to track her down all evening. "Where's Markus and Josh?"

"Down below. Markus is going to set off the explosives so we can escape."

Eyeing Connor warily Simon gave the strange deviant a mistrustful glance as if something about him rang familiar. "...Weren't you at the-"

"Simon! North!" From down the same corridor Josh came sprinting forward and looked as if he had just come face to dace with the Devil himself. "We gotta' keep going! The army is all over the ship! Markus is almost down to the bomb!"

Without needing any further provocation the quartet of deviants charged down the corridor to get to the exit of the ship before it was too late to escape. The sound of gunfire from the depths of the freighter echoing through the metal structure was as ominous as it was deafening. Reaching the correct intersection leading to their exit the four soon heard another set of footsteps rushing toward them from an intersection of the corridor as they neared their escape.

Stopping suddenly North looked toward the footsteps and called out in a relieved voice to the deviant leader who had successfully activated the bomb down in the hull of the ship. "Markus!"

"Bomb's going to explode at any second." Markus announced loudly as he rejoined his allies as promised. "We gotta' get out of here!"

Sprinting down the final stretch of the corridor the five deviants leapt over the gaping holes in the rotting floor, overturned storage containers and metal barricades. The quintet ignored the sound of marching boots, encroaching gunfire and sounds of screaming from all around them. Just as they caught sight of the doorway leading them to the exterior of the ship a handful of soldiers located the fleeing group and opened fire.

North let out a shocked groan of pain as she fell forward onto the hard metal surface beneath her feet. Unable to move or defend herself North was completely defenseless and at the mercy of the very gunmen who shot her in the leg.

Hearing the cry of pain and the fall of their friend the four other fleeing deviants stopped and turned around to face their downed ally. She was so close and yet so far away as the soldiers honed in on the wounded deviant bleeding on the ground, her movements compromised and potentially fatal.

"It's too late, Markus!" Simon stated in a despondent tone of fear and remorse as he hung back. "There's nothing we can do for her, we gotta' run!"

Without any hesitation Markus brushed off the comment and raced back toward North to go to her aid.

Picking up a scrap piece of metal that had fallen from the top deck and through a hole down into the corridor Markus held it before himself as a means of shielding his body from bullets as the soldiers opened fire once again on the fleeing deviants. Tossing the scrap to North to protect herself Markus got low and crouched behind her as he tried to get her back up to her feet despite her injury so they could run off together.

Realizing that they'd have to fight their way out Markus got to his feet and directly confronted the nearest gunman with his bare hands. Pushing the hostile human backward Markus wrestled the gun from the man's grip and threw it on the ground before confronting the second gunman, and disarming him as well. As he took aim at a third gunman with the very weapon he took Markus sensed that the first man had gotten back to his feet, and turned his attention back to the previous aggressor to combat and disarm him yet again.

Firing once Markus killed the hostile gunman just as North finally subdued the second gunman, and found the strength to get back up to her feet to run.

More gunmen appeared at the end of the corridor and honed in on the group, and their intentions were as aggressive as the very three gunmen Markus had disarmed and subdued.

"Over there!" Wrapping his left arm around North's waist Markus guided the wounded deviant back toward safety and away from the humans. "Run!"

Carrying North at his left side Markus escorted her to safety and quickly ducked down as Connor approached the gunmen and opened fire with his own weapon as a means of protecting his new allies.

Taking aim Connor fired off three shots to hold the soldiers at bay before he picked up the dropped piece of scrap metal that had previous saved both Markus and North from harm, and used to shield himself as he confronted the nearest solider directly. Pulling the soldier's gun down with his left hand Connor aimed with his right hand and shot the soldier directly beneath his jaw, and used him as a literal human shield as he fired at the next soldier; the second bullet missing as the second solider as he rushed Connor with the intent to kill.

Confronting the second man directly Connor took a graving bullet to his right shoulder as he elbowed the second gunman, and struck the third gunman who was approaching his ally from behind with his other elbow. Taking the third man's gun Connor used the man as another shield and opened fire on a fourth soldier before he had the chance to fire at the very deviants Connor was fighting to protect.

Disarming the fourth man as easily as he had done to the previous three Connor dropped the soldier's weapon in favor of his own gun and fired a single bullet into the middle of the fourth man's chest, subduing him at long last.

Staring at the four men down at his feet with his increasingly expressive eyes filling with continued conflict Connor took a step back and raised his eyes in time to see back-up rushing down the corridor to aid the very gunmen he had subdued. Keeping his gun aimed forward Connor walked backward quickly a few paces before turning around entirely and joining his four other allies at the doorway leading out of the ship to escape into the night at long last.

"Run, quick!" Josh urged as the group gathered at the doorway leading to the outside world and the freezing river far below. "Come on!"

Taking a leap of faith the five deviants jumped from the doomed freighter and into the icy river below with notable splashes. As the quintet disappeared beneath the murky surface of the chilly water bright orange flames erupted from within Jericho as the bomb detonated, and the compromised sanctuary began to sink into the depths of the river from whence it was docked.

The raid was over.

Hundreds of deviants managed to flee the ship and rush out into the night, but hundreds more had been captured and carted away from the harbor and toward a location unknown by the soldiers who were tasked with hunting them down.

* * *

Reconvening at the abandoned church on the far side of the city after the raid on Jericho took hundreds of innocent deviant lives Markus sat at the altar with his head hung low as he felt the raw and heavy emotion in the air as the survivors of the brutal raid all awaited his next decision. The gathered followers of Jericho were all despondent and emotionally exhausted. North, had been shot by the agents but survived thanks to Markus and Connor working together to protect her and get her to safety. The bullet had struck her body but it didn't cause an fatal damage. Simon was tending to the wounded and sitting in the shadows as he too waited for their next move. Josh, as much as he loathed aggression a confrontation, was contemplating how Markus's bold decision on Jericho had been the correct course of action, and had saved more lives than the F.B.I. and army could take.

Connor was standing against the far wall of the church near the altar, his arms crossed guardedly over his chest, and was contemplating how his decision nearly cost the lives of thousands of innocent deviants, and yet he was able to do the right thing and spare countless lives who had only just begun to live. Despite his correct decision he still felt guilt sitting heavily inside his heart.

Other survivors of the raid were silently sitting together in the rotten and decaying wooden pews, grateful to still be alive. Kara and Alice had been the very fugitives Connor attempted to chase across a busy highway just days before locating Jericho, and with that unceremonious reunion Connor; the android detective turned deviant, knew what he needed to do.

Tentatively Connor approached Kara as she sat with Alice at her side, the deviant exuding a true motherly instinct to protect the child in her care, and stared at her for only a moment as Alice leaned against Kara's shoulder seeking love and comfort. As Kara held onto Alice's hand and held her in a half hug at her side, she raised her eyes to look into Connor's eyes as the newly born deviant felt compelled to speak to her and to speak from his heart.

"...I thought I'd killed you on that highway." Watching Kara as she eyed him carefully Connor let his words pour forth without any hesitation to his tone. The memory of his attempted capture of the rogue deviant was now a scar inside his heart. "I'm sorry I put your lives in danger..." Ashamed of his actions Connor turned his eyes away for just a moment before he knelt down before Kara and Alice to show he was no longer a threat and truly remorseful for his previous decisions. "I was just a machine... taking orders. It wasn't really me."

Standing upright again Connor studied Kara's demeanor curiously, almost as if he were expecting a backlash or assault.

"...What're you going to do now?"

Kara was silent for only a moment as she continued to hold Alice's hand and keep an arm wrapped around the little girl's shoulder to ensure the frightened child still felt protected. "...Getting Alice away from here is all that matters now." Contemplating her own future Kara truly seemed at odds with her next move and her future. "We have to catch the last bus. We might still have a chance to cross the border."

"I hope you make it out safely." Connor wasn't just responding politely to the comment, he was truly hopeful to see Kara and Alice find their freedom and make it to Canada. "You deserve some happiness after all you've been through."

Reluctantly Connor stepped away from Kara and Alice to return to the isolation of the far wall as he waited for Markus to make his next decision, and to decide his own fate.

Trust was key.

If Markus couldn't trust Connor then the deviant would be exiled and forced to fend for himself out on the cold and dangerous streets. The fight for his people would have to take place without him at their leader's side.

Leaning his left shoulder against the decrepit wooden banister that encircled the altar Connor resumed his guarded position with his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes focused on the floor at his feet as he awaited his fate. Sensing Markus approaching him Connor kept his gaze on the floor as he addressed the deviant leader as Markus stood before him, a gun clutched in his right hand.

"...It's my fault the humans managed to locate Jericho." Connor admitted as he let his heart continue to speak on his behalf. "I was stupid." Shaking his head with self disappointment Connor came to accept how he was in fact just a tool and that he had been nothing more than a weapon against his own people against his will. "I should've guessed they were using me."

Standing upright Connor managed to step forward and stand in front of Markus as he prepared to receive judgment.

"I'm sorry, Markus." Looking the deviant leader in his mismatched eyes Connor was ready to accept whatever decision had been chosen for him. "I can understand if you decide not to trust me."

Markus stared at Connor for only a moment as he listened to Connor's words and passed his final judgment. "Our cause is too important."

Silently Connor felt his heart sink as he learned of his place in Markus's mismatched eyes.

"I can't take any risks."

As Markus raised the gun in his hand Connor just stared at the deviant leader, the emotions in his soulful brown eyes fading as the threat of death being presented to him drained him of any sense of resolve or atonement, and just stood his ground as the barrel was aimed at his head.

Without another word Markus squeezed the trigger.

The gunshot echoed loudly throughout the interior of the quiet and forgotten church. The bullet pierced Connor's cranium directly in his forehead destroying his intracranial processors within milliseconds. The newly born deviant was dead before his body even hit the ground with an audible 'thud'.

Markus lowered the fired weapon as he looked down at Connor's shutdown body, unaware that the deviant's memory and functions were be uploaded to a memorybank within CyberLife and automatically being downloaded into another RK-800 model that would become activated within the walls of the oppressive tower located out on Belle Isle.

Slipping the gun back into his pocket Markus's mismatched eyes momentarily filled with regret and remorse as he turned his back on Connor to face his people once more.

Shutdown, dead and now alone Connor's body remained splayed and motionless on the church's dirty floor as dark blue blood pooled beneath his head. The deviant's soulful brown eyes were left staring blankly into the nothingness above him as whatever life and emotion he had gained in that moment on Jericho disappeared as quickly as it emerged from within the depths of his newly discovered heart...

* * *

Everything was cold and still as Connor's brown eyes opened and he found himself once more standing in the middle of the freezing zen garden that had once been a warm and blossoming sanctuary within the depths of his own mind palace. Standing before a small plot of recently disturbed land at the edge of the garden Connor's eyes fell upon a simple headstone that documented his death within the church at the hands of Markus. The headstone was all that was left of his previous life before it was taken from him by the very person he had helped at the risk of his own life.

"You disappointed me, Connor." Amanda's bitter voice called to him from behind in a tone that was colder than the swirling blizzard that froze Connor in place before the hastily constructed memorial within his own mind. "You had your chance to bring down the leader of the deviants, and you failed."

"...I made a mistake." Turning to face the heartless woman who commanded his every move Connor addressed the error with a heavy heart. "I was wrong to have tried to reason with Markus. Deviants are dangerous and must be stopped."

"Time is running out. We can't afford any further mistakes or setbacks."

"I will succeed Amanda." Approaching his handler with a stern gaze of repressed anger Connor made his intentions clear, and regained some modicum of trust after he had betrayed her. "I now know what I must-"

Staggering on his feet Connor pressed his right fingertips to his L.E.D. as it rapidly flickered in red and his eyes screwed shut. A barrage of conflicting error messages and numbers filled his eyes as a loud 'bang' and ringing filled his ears.

"Connor." Amanda's voice was inaudible to Connor's ears as she saw him struggling to focus. "Connor you must succeed. Failure is not-"

Falling to his hands and knees Connor let out a single pained gasp before he fell to his side and rolled onto his back. The error messages bombarded his vision despite his eyes being closed and his ears continued to ring loudly with the distant echo of a deafening bang. Bringing both hands to his head Connor tried to end the pain but there was nothing he could do.

"Connor, you will obey me. You ha-... impor- ...cause."

Keeping his eyes closed Connor struggled to hear Amanda's voice as his system struggled to reboot and respond properly.

"...-st win! We must-" Amanda's voice was fading away despite her shouting at the android to obey her orders. "Con- Do not fail your mis-"

The Zen Garden began to fade from around Connor as the echo in his mind grew louder, the messages in his eyes became more vivid and the pain that rendered him helpless on the ground became to intense Connor let out a guttural scream as tears ran from his eyes and blue blood began to run down from a wound in the center of his forehead...

* * *

_**...LOADING INFORMATION:** _

**REGISTERED NAME: _"Connor"_**

**MODEL: _RK-800_**

**SERIAL NUMBER: _313 248 317 - 51_**

**ACTIVATION DATE: _August 15th, 2038_**

**HEIGHT/WEIGHT: _6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs_**

**COMPLEXION: _Caucasian_**

**AESTHETIC GENDER: _Male_**

**HAIR/EYES: _Brunette; Brown_**

**ASSIGNMENT: _Consult with the Detroit Police Department: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America_**

**ASSOCIATION(S): _CyberLife; Detroit Central Precinct_**

_**BOOTING PROCESSORS...** _

_**LOADING OS...** _

_**SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...** _

_**-** _ **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]**

 _**-** _ **INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]**

 _**-** _ **INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]**

 _**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^80.3%**

_**[...Thirium Volume - 96%]** _

_**[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]** _

_**[...Thirium Pump Rate - 92 B.P.M.]** _

_**[...Ventilation Rate - 22 V.P.M.]** _

_**[...Core Temperature - 96.4 Degrees Fahrenheit]** _

**WARNING:** _**Damage to anterior cranial plating - 93% Integrity** _

_**[...Foreign body detected in ventral cranial plating - Immediate extraction recommended]** _

**ERROR:** _**Memorybank compromised - 79% Functionality** _

_**-** _ **STRESS LEVELS: ^63%**

_**[...Seek immediate technical assistance]** _

_**-** _ **SYSTEM READY... OK]**

Taking in a deep gasping breath as he finally stopped screaming inside his own mind Connor opened his wide brown eyes and glanced about the area confusedly and warily. Using his hands to support himself upright on the hard, dirty, wooden floor Connor's vision slowly cleared of the numbers and let him gain his bearings with grainy, gray tinted vision, but nothing looked familiar. Alone in the abandoned church Connor ran a self diagnostic and confirmed the bullet wound in the middle of his forehead and the bullet still lodged inside his cranium.

Running his left fingertips over the raw wound in his forehead Connor could feel the bullet hole and torn open artificial skin where he had been shot. The wound should've proven fatal, should've left Connor permanently shutdown, and yet he had not only regained consciousness but was alert and coherent in the aftermath of the shooting.

The only thing that was compromising his current situation was his lacking short term memory.

"H-How?"

Shaking where he sat and his voice garbled with a stuttering electronic echo Connor tried to understand how he was even alive.

Once his processor began to shutdown his memory and all of his experiences should've been automatically transferred into that of another 'RK-800' back inside CyberLife Tower. By all logic and reason the Connor that deviated on Jericho and had been shot in the church should in fact be dead.

"N-Need to..." With his memory compromised Connor didn't remember what led to the shooting or who pulled the trigger. "CyberLife. I n-need to go to CyberLife." Uncertainty plagued his every thought and decision. "I think."

Pushing himself up from the floor, his arms shaking and his legs weak from the cold, Connor stumbled forward one step before collapsing forward and landing on the nearest decrepit pew inside the decaying church. Blinking a few times Connor's vision steadily regained its color, but his ears began to ring again. Standing up straight the damaged android fell back onto his instincts and began analyzing the decaying building he had awoken inside of.

The age and wear of the clearly abandoned building confirmed its isolation and being in a quiet area of the city. Dirt, dust, cobwebs and stray snow collecting on the floor and forgotten furniture made it clear that Connor was seemingly the first visitor to that particular building in a very long time. Based on the pews, lingering religious artifacts mounted on the walls and the podium behind him, Connor was able to deduce that he was inside of an abandoned church.

Walking around the church on his shaking legs Connor's eyes picked up on traces of Thirium that had been previously spilled on the floor. Crouching down slowly Connor pressed his left fingertips to the blue puddle on the floor and pressed the sample to his tongue solely on instinct. There was no android signature attached to the Thirium which meant it was fresh and had been spilled while being consumed.

"S-Someone was-"

Looking down at his hand where the blue blood was staining his fingertips Connor noticed he was wearing a brown leather jacket as opposed to his gray CyberLife blazer. Checking over his wardrobe Connor stood back up and realized he wasn't at all in his proper CyberLife uniform and couldn't remember why his clothing was drastically different from what he had been ordered to wear.

"What w-was I doing? Wh-Where was I g-going?"

Noticing more blue blood on the surface of a nearby pew Connor pressed the second sample to his tongue and received a new message. It belonged to a 'WR-400' who went by the name 'North'. The amount of Thirium was indicative of moderate wound, not anything that would indicate serious damage to any main lines or biocomponents, and that was the only sign that the android had ever been inside the church.

"...North?"

Flashes of a brunette android in the heart of rusted and dilapidated cargo ship suddenly flashed in Connor's mind making his head hurt again.

Stumbling and falling to the blood tinted pew Connor pressed his right palm to his aching head, his rapidly flickering red L.E.D. was tucked under the wool beanie still covering his hair. The images were so potent and real that he knew that they were in fact memories but he had no context for what they were, who that android was or where they had been standing when the memory was formed.

"...N-Need answers. I must know what... What happened."

Pressing his hands over his clothing Connor looked for any additional clues regarding where he was and why he was dressed in such a way. As he fumbled through the pockets of the jacket, his jeans and then finally to the hoodie underneath the jacket Connor located a small white tag inside the hoodie pocket and tore it from the seam to read it over.

'100% Cotton blend. Wash in cold water. Do not tumble dry.'

Turning the tag over to read the other side Connor noted two letters, initials, written on the opposite side of the tag in black marker.

'H.A.'

"This does n-not belong to me."

Staring at the initials for a moment Connor ran an analysis on the handwriting and recognized it as that of one man he had previously met after being assigned to work with the Detroit Central Precinct: Lieutenant Henry "Hank" Lucas Anderson.

"H.A., Hank Anderson." The name was associated with a person and even a familiar face. "Lieutenant Anderson."

As he spoke the name out loud Connor was bombarded with images of Hank in the precinct helping him sneak into the precinct's evidence room. ' _The key to the basement is on my desk_.'

Pressing his hands to his head again Connor let out a pained hiss and pushed his thoughts to cut through the pain so he could think more clearly. That was last conversation Connor remembered having with Hank, but unlike North who was nowhere to be seen, Connor did know where he could possibly find Hank.

Pocketing the tag Connor stood up on his shaking legs and slowly staggered out of the church's creaking front door and out of the doors into the cold, dark and snowy night...

* * *

Grumbling to himself as he threw open his front door, threw his car keys onto the bookshelf against the far wall of the livingroom and then slammed the door behind him. As he trudged through the livingroom to get to the kitchen Hank heard Sumo let out a big yawn then plod into the kitchen behind him. Opening up the freezer door Hank grabbed an ice pack out of the back of the cold space, grabbed a bottle of vodka tucked nearby and then shut the door with a swift motion. Holding the ice to his swollen, red, right knuckles Hank awkwardly open the lid of the cold vodka bottle, and took a deep swig before dropping at the kitchen table.

Sumo grumbled once and rested his chin on Hank's knee as if he understood that his master had a bad at work, and just needed to unwind.

"Shit's happening downtown right now, Sumo."

Taking another swig of the vodka Hank sighed and lifted the ice from his sore knuckles to inspect the damage. His skin was red and still swollen, but he hadn't broken any of the bones when he struck F.B.I. agent Richard Perkins. The pain was worth it and Hank didn't even mind getting suspended for a week.

"I have no idea what's going on and I don't care. I just hope that damn kid knows what the fuck he's doing."

Picking up the vodka bottle for the third time Hank looked at the clear alcohol sloshing about the glass bottle and let out a discontented sigh as he put the bottle back down on the table.

"Shit... Wish I knew where he was. Can't believe I actually give a damn about him after all the bullshit he put me through."

Rubbing his left hand over Sumo's ears in favor of trying to get drunk Hank glanced back at the cardboard taped over the broken window behind him and decided he'd get the window replaced soon. With winter already rearing its ugly head over Detroit and with unrest in the streets Hank didn't want to chance leaving the window open.

"Wonder if there's a hardware store open right now? Probably not."

A soft knocking on the front door tore Hank's blue eyes from the window and Sumo let out a soft 'boof' in response.

"Who the fuck is here? No one should walking the streets except..."

Rising from the kitchen table Hank hovered his swollen right hand over the holster on his hip only to remember that Captain Fowler stripped him of both his badge and service weapon when he was suspended.

"Fuck."

Marching into the livingroom Hank heard the knocking repeat and he was ready to track down his revolver to use to arm himself. Patting the side of his leg instead Hank called Sumo over instead and crept toward the door as the massive dog stood loyally at his side. Peering through the front window to see who was standing outside the front door Hank's went wide and his brow arched with utter confusion.

"What the hell!?" Opening the door Hank stared at his unexpected guest and glanced about the area behind him. "Connor? What're you doing here?"

The android was silent as he stood on the snowy front step with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes downcast and his body shivering.

"Connor? Talk to me." Sensing something was wrong Hank noticed a dark blue smear over Connor's forehead and a red flag went up. "Connor. I need you to speak to me. What're you doing here?"

"I..." The electronic reverb wasn't as severe as it had been but it was still lingering in his voice. "I don't know."

"Okay, come on." Lightly putting his left hand onto Connor's right shoulder Hank gently pulled the android inside his warm house and out of the cold. Closing the door behind Connor the senior detective locked the door, then led Connor over to the blue sofa to sit down for a minute. "You're freezing."

Falling silent again Connor just stood beside the couch rather than sitting down. It was like he was an aimless shell of a person.

"You're freaking me out." Hank admitted as he followed his hunch and moved the beanie covering Connor's hair up and away from his forehead. He wasn't sure of what to expect, but seeing a bleeding bullet hole was still one of the last things he had expected. "Holy shit! Connor, what the fuck happened?!"

"I don't know that, either."

"Shit, sit down. Go on, sit." Putting both of his hands on Connor's shoulders Hank to actually muscle the android into sitting down on the furniture. Sitting down on the coffee table across from Connor very quickly Hank removed the hat entirely and wrapped his hands around Connor's head while using his thumbs to investigate the bullet hole he was staring into. "How in the fuck are you even alive?"

"I don't-"

"You don't know, yeah, I get it..." Dropping his hands from Connor's head Hank used his left hand to cup Connor's child and gently lift the android's head to make eye contact with the android. "Okay, you don't know why you're here, you don't know what happened and you don't even know how you survived a bullet to the head. What DO you know?"

Blinking slowly Connor's yellow L.E.D. cycled quickly as his brown eyes darted about the livingroom curiously before returning to Hank's eyes. "...You. I know you, Lieutenant Anderson. And that my name is Connor."

"I guess I'm flattered. You know me, is that why you're here?"

"I think so. Yes."

"All right, that's progress... sort of. Now, _why_ did you come to me?"

Lowering his arms from his chest Connor reached back into his hoodie pocket and revealed the tag he had torn out of the garment back at the church. "I found this inside my clothing." Letting Hank take the tag from his hand Connor was still trying to piece together his memory. "I'm... I'm not sure why I'm even wearing these clothes."

"H.A., that's definitely my hoodie. I haven't worn it since... fifteen pounds ago. I had kept it in the backseat of the Oldsmobile." Taking a look at the jacket, hat and work boots that Connor was wearing Hank realized that those were the oddball clothes that were deposited in the 'Lost & Found' bin at the rear entrance of the precinct. "Seems like after you got your answers in the evidence room you slipped out the backdoor of the precinct, smart by the way, and grabbed my hoodie out of my car when you passed through the neighboring parking garage."

"...I'm not sure." The electronic stutter was mercifully beginning to clear away. "That's plausible."

"How about this?" Dragging his left hand over his bearded chin Hank sighed and glanced at the snowy world outside through the front livingroom window again. "You're hu- _damaged_ ," he corrected his term for the sake of accuracy since androids were obsessed with details. "and your memory is fucked up. How about we take you to CyberLife so you can get..." Noticing that Connor's L.E.D. flashed to red when he mentioned that particular business Hank's instincts as a detective told him he was on to something. "What's up with CyberLife?"

"I... I think I need to go there. I need to do something." Shaking his head a little, the motion quickly causing the android tremendous pain, Connor tried to remember what he was trying to do before his memory just stopped. "...Something important."

"Does it have anything to do with Jericho?"

"...Jericho." Repeating the word memories of the cargo ship in the harbor came flooding back and he remembered encountering Markus, North, Simon and Josh at the hidden location. The memory of North confirmed that he had in fact been there and that something happened in the ship that resulted in many deviants going to that church for an unknown amount of time. "...Yes. Jericho is involved."

"Why is CyberLife involved, too?"

"...Unknown."

"Shit." Trying to think of a way to help out the damaged android Hank sighed and contemplated his very limited options. "As much as I hate to do this, I think I should drive you out to CyberLife and try to help you figure out what the fuck is going on."

"It'd be unwise to go there without a purpose."

"We do have a purpose." Eyeing the wound in Connor's head Hank rose from the coffee table and walked over to the bookshelf to get his car keys. "You're injured. You need help. And I'm your partner, it's my responsibility to help you."

The memories of working alongside Hank at the precinct flashed over Connor's eyes and his ears began to ring in a high pitched manner. "...P-Partner."

"Hey?" Noticing the rapid red flickering L.E.D. in Connor's right temple Hank leaned over the back of the couch and lightly put his right hand on Connor's right shoulder. "What's up?"

"...W-We were assigned as partners."

"Yeah, that's right. We worked together find deviants in the city."

"...Deviants." The notion of deviants and deviancy itself made Connor's head throb as the memory of deviating - of breaking through the red digital walls, come flooding forward. Connor nearly jumped to his feet and out of Hank's grip as he realized what he had done and what he had become. Feeling himself panic a little Connor began breathing rapidly and his legs started shaking. "D-Deviants are... They're-"

"They're _people_." Walking around the couch Hank addressed the frightened android in a calm tone. He knew that Connor was beginning to feel emotions such as empathy and remorse, but he hadn't expected to ever see the android scared. "It's okay. We both know that deviants are just people fighting for their rights to be treated as equals."

"They're... in danger."

"Yeah. I, uh, heard about the Raid on the radio. Hope that's not where you got shot."

"...I think the two incidents are in fact connected."

"That can't be good." Hank's phone suddenly rang and the senior detective pulled it out of his jean pocket to answer. Recognizing Captain Fowler's number and name Hank swore under his breath and then answered the intrusive call. "What do you want, Jeffrey? Callin' to fire me?"

Too weary and confused to tap into the phone call Connor just stayed on the couch and watched as Sumo curiously sniffed at his tan work boots, then plodded over to his pillow in the corner of the livingroom with notable indifference to Connor's arrival.

"Yeah, yeah..." Mumbling with a sense of dread to his voice Hank listened to his Captain and made his final decision. "I'm on it." Ending the call Hank slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Fowler wants me to find you. Apparently some asshole from CyberLife called demanding your return and are threatening to sue the department. So much for being suspended, huh?"

"I need to go to CyberLife. If I do not report soon they will... They will come looking for me."

"Well, you can't go back looking like that."

Glancing down at his less than presentable attire again Connor's brown eyes lifted and looked at Hank confusedly. "...I don't remember where I placed my old uniform."

"My guess is you dropped it off near the back of the precinct when you took those clothes out of the 'lost & found' bin. Come on, we'll go take a look and try to refresh your memory." Urging Connor to get up from the couch again Hank stepped toward the front door and grabbed onto the doorknob. "Then we'll head out to CyberLife and get your head taken care of."

"...You've been consuming alcohol." Noting the traces of ethanol on Hank's breath Connor knew the senior detective had been drinking just prior to his arrival. Despite his confusion and stunted reactions Connor knew that it was dangerous to let Hank drive around in his condition. "You cannot drive as you are."

"I may have had a couple shots, but you were _literally_ shot. You're not driving, either."

"Then what should we do?"

"Seriously? You can't figure that one?"

Rising from the couch and joining Hank by the doorway Connor gave Hank a look that was too similar to that of a lost child seeking help.

"We take an autonomous cab." Pulling his phone out of his pocket Hank booted up the app and requested a cab to come to the house, then pulled open the front door. "I've spent a lot of money on cabs during my darker nights, so I have a lot of credit that can pay the fare for us."

Following Hank outside for a few steps Connor stopped in the middle of the front walk and looked down at the snow at his feet. It was white, pristine and seemingly eternal. "...Lieutenant?"

"Yeah?" Making his way back to the front door to lock it with the keys Hank called out to Connor through the cold winter air.

"...Thank you for helping me."

Pulling the key back out of the door's lock Hank turned to look at the android standing motionless behind him with a sense of confusion. Connor had always been so reserved and never expressed gratitude unless he was trying to regain peace between Hank and himself after a mild disagreement, but now he was speaking as if he was being entirely honest. Almost as if he had truly gained sentience and a functioning conscience.

Walking toward the street Hank lightly put his left hand to Connor's right shoulder to lead him over to the street. "You're welcome." Standing on the snowy sidewalk beside the street Hank crossed his arms over his chest and watched his breath form into a white cloud before disappearing before his eyes. "We'll hit the precinct first, then get you taken care of at CyberLife Tower."

* * *

The streets of Detroit were desolate minus the autonomous cabs and patrol cars still roaming the city. As the silent snow continued to fall from the black sky overhead the bus terminals leading to the Canadian border were being packed full, and the streets near Hart Plaza were being taken over by Markus and the other deviants as they fought for their freedom. Those who chose to not evacuate Detroit were holed up inside their homes and apartments, many of whom would be armed, and all emergency facilities were put on secured lockdown. Beyond the deviants in the streets and the buses fleeing the city there wasn't a single sound to be heard on that fateful snowy night.

Together Hank and Connor returned to CyberLife Tower located on Belle Isle, a small expanse of land located in the middle of the Detroit River near the city's outskirts and limits. The snow continued to fall in a gentle and light manner covering everything it touched with a delicate icy layer of pure whiteness. The single autonomous vehicle traveled down the lengthy drive connecting the isle to the rest of the city while a cargo monorail passed the vehicle by heading in the opposite direction as it transported crucially needed biocomponents and blue blood exclusively to CyberLife stores in the heart of Detroit.

As the cab reached the security barricade located near the center of the drive the taxi came to a stop and waited to be cleared by security to effectively take Connor to the tower to begin his self imposed mission. The bright white neon glow of "CyberLife" illuminating the barricade, the patrolling security drone and the three security officers on patrol would be enough to intimidate the average deviant, but unfortunately for CyberLife Connor was far from average.

"Remember," Hank spoke up casually as he glanced at Connor to his side and looked over the android now wearing his original CyberLife uniform and pointed to the still healing bullet wound in Connor's forehead. "you need to feign unconsciousness. You know, play dead."

"But I'm not-"

"I know that, but you're hu- damaged. The only way I can get inside the tower with you is if I have to 'help' you walk. Get it?"

"I... I think so." Fussing with the coin in his right hand Connor returned it to his jean pocket and stared at his shaking hand as he dropped it to his lap. "What do I do?"

"Sit still and silent. Uh, maybe close your eyes a little to look like you're really fucked up."

"I will try my best." Slumping back in his seat Connor closed his eyes a little and made sure his blinking yellow L.E.D. was visible at all times. "Lieutenant?"

"Yeah?"

"The guards are going to ask for my name and my serial number. Read it off of my jacket."

"Done."

Automatically lowering the window of the cab as the first of the security guards approached the autonomous vehicle Hank leaned forward in his seat and spoke over Connor to address the armed man in his usual calm voice. "Hey. I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson." Showing the guard his badge to identify himself Hank motioned to the entirely still android beside him with a pointed them. "This is Connor. Model number 313 248 317. It took a bullet a while back and I was ordered to drop it off myself to keep my boss from getting sued."

The security guard's protective visor doubled as a scanning device which confirmed both Hank and Connor's identity after verified Hank's claims through a check with CyberLife's recent phone calls outside of the tower connecting to Hank's precinct. The guard could see the bullet wound to Connor's forehead and the yellow glowing L.E.D. indicating a possible error.

An artificial feminine voice sounded off in the guard's ear to ensure that Connor did in fact have clearance to enter the tower, and that Hank would be given temporary clearance. ' _Identification successful_.'

Giving the duo their clearance the guard took a step back from the cab. "Okay." Waving off the cab as the window rolled up the guard let the two detectives through and signaled to the other guards to lower the barricade to grant him passage. "Go ahead."

Section by section the highly secured protective wall lowered into the drive to allow the cab to pass through. The other two guards continued to eye the vehicle warily as the security drone circled the checkpoint during its preprogrammed nightly patrol. Passing through the barricade to continue down the rest of the drive the barricade resurfaced, effectively cutting off the two detective's only route to escape if it became necessary.

A second monorail passed the autonomous cab by as it transported the duo to the dark and ominous spire that stood alone on the isle. The dark snow clouds overhead broke apart just long enough to allow the bright moonlight to bask over the structure as if it were a beacon of hope shining forth on a seemingly hopeless night.

"We're in." Hank finally mumbled as he watched the tower grow taller as the cab drove closer. "Sorry about the whole 'it' thing back there."

"...I understand." Blinking once Connor turned to look at Hank for a moment before returning to his subdued position in the cab. "I'm not offended."

The cab reached the end of the drive and circled about the stretch of road that surrounded the tower itself, and came to a gentle stop before the tower's front entrance. A second neon display of "CyberLife" shone over the drive as a reminder to anyone who dared to venture out to the tower of whom they were attempting to confront, or even speak with.

Four additional guards and patrolling drones were encircling the tower and seemingly had been waiting for Connor and Hank's arrival. As the senior detective stepped out of the vehicle to stand before the ominous tower, he reached back inside and pulled on Connor's arm to haul the android out of the vehicle, then slung Connor's left arm around his shoulders before wrapping his right arm around Connor's waist to hold him up at his side.

"Lean on me." Hank whispered as he began walking with Connor still playing dead at his side. "We'll sneak past them as soon as we have an opening."

Walking past two of the four guards the duo neared the front entrance where the other two guards were waiting for them. The front doors automatically slid open revealing three more guards, all armed, and all waiting for Connor enter the tower. The trio were standing in such a manner to prevent either Hank or Connor from walking past them or moving out of their sight.

The central guard standing in the trio addressed Hank in a stern voice as he eyed the android warily. "Follow me." Motioning with his head toward a corridor behind them the guard directed Connor where to go. "We'll escort you."

"Thanks..." Trying brush off the offer Hank remained emotionally composed and cold. "But I think I can figure out where to take him. A repair bay, right?"

"Maybe," the reply was curt and sharp as the guard began walking with the intent to lead Connor about despite Connor's attempts to get away from him. "but I have my orders. You will follow me."

Begrudgingly and silently Hank followed after the guard while the other two guards followed them both to ensure that neither Hank or Connor couldn't sneak away from their sight. Passing through the expansive lobby that had been marked under CyberLife and adorned with small bonsai gardens to give the illusion of true organic life Hank allowed the three guards to escort him and Connor to the appointed place where the Hank had a feeling that Connor was sure to meet his demise.

Countless scanners kept tabs on activity within the tower to ensure there were no breeches in security or sabotage to undo all of CyberLife's hard work. Passing through the foyer and into the main interior of the tower leading the main elevator and permitting access to the rest of the tower the security scanner confirmed the identities of the group of four passing through the connected doorway with the intention of entering the elevator at the far end of the adjacent room together.

An artificial masculine voice identified the four people in turn as they entered the main floor one by one. ' _Agent twenty-three identified_.' Following after the first guard Connor was too identified. ' _Connor android identified_. _Lieutenant Anderson identified_.' Soon after the other two guards were also identified. ' _Agent forty-seven identified_. _Agent seventy-two identified_.'

The glass doors opened allowing all four people clearance to the interior of the tower to properly conduct business.

' _Scan complete_. _Access authorized_.'

Casually Hank adjusted his posture to more comfortably carry Connor at his side as they passed through the interior of the tower, and masked his disgust at the sight of CyberLife's arrogant nature being displayed all around him. The interior of the tower had an elevator at the end of a walkway that encircled a towering black statue showcasing CyberLife's glory. The walkway itself branched out into three different directions that connected to other corridors granting personnel access to rooms and offices that were off limits to civilians.

From beneath the elevated walkway under his feet Hank could see and smell the tops of numerous trees growing upward from a second large garden far below. The walls surrounding the interior chamber were white and metallic, and large screens were modeling CyberLife's most recent android designs were glowing for all to see as if advertising their work to their own employees. The shining floor of the walkway was marked with white lights, and yet the dark oppression that Connor felt was completely undeniable.

Two additional guards traversed the down the second walkway as the previous three guards continued to escort Hank and Connor to the elevator at the end of the third corridor. The two corridors that were on the opposite side from where Hank and Connor had entered the interior of the tower were lined with eight android models on display, all standing silently and motionless atop small white pedestals as if they were nothing more than dolls in a dollhouse.

As the guards who followed after the duo remained in place on the walkway to keep either of them from attempting to elude their watch Connor discreetly noted that there were two additional guards already waiting at the elevator upon learning of his and Hank's arrival. The elevator door opened and the first guard maintained his post outside the elevator while the other two guards joined Hank and Connor inside the elevator to see them to the correct floor.

"Agent fifty-four." The first of the two new guards spoke up as he confirmed his authority to the security program functioning within the elevator. CyberLife didn't take any chances. "Level thirty-one."

' _Voice recognition validated_.' An artificial feminine voice confirmed the command as the guard selected his desired floor. ' _Access authorized_.'

Glancing to his right at the directory imprinted on the wall of the elevator Connor noted that the warehouse was on the very bottom floor of the massive tower, down on sublevel forty-nine. Going up to level thirty-one would take Connor, Hank and the guards to CyberLife's marketing division; a floor designed to check on an android's functionality within the public, and would effectively analyze his programming to determine whether or not he was an problematic deviant or an obedient machine.

The elevator's doors shut as Connor updated his current objectives: Reach the warehouse on sublevel forty-nine, and protect Lieutenant Anderson.

Quietly Connor pulled his arm from around Hank's shoulders as the senior detective stood in the middle of the elevator as it began its steady ascent, and preconstructed his next move carefully. Neutralizing the guards was a must, as was doing so before the elevator reached the thirty-first floor where he knew additional guards would be waiting for him. He also knew they would all be armed. Needing to be very careful to disarm the guards and keep Hank safe Connor carefully preconstructed his next moves down the smallest detail.

Glancing upward Connor noted the security camera in the top left corner of the elevator and cybernetically disabled it to ensure no additional guards would be summoned to stop him before he completed his mission. With the threat of additional security already handled Connor preconstructed his attack on the two armed guards beside him, and ran two simulations: One ending in his death and the second ending with his success.

Of course choosing the latter option Connor pushed Hank to the corner of the elevator and immediately struck the guard to his left, bring his knee up to the man's chest to stun him and knock him off balance. Shoving him up against the wall of the elevator Connor quickly kicked the second guard behind him in the chest to knock him back against the opposite wall with a powerful blow to ensure he couldn't be struck and subdued by the two guards.

As the first guard drew his gun from his holster Connor kicked him in his left knee to drop him, and turned to pull the gun from the second guard's hand before he had the chance to open fire on the rebelling deviant. With the gun now in his right hand Connor punched the second guard with the weapon directly in the chest to stun him as well, but the first guard had gotten back to his feet and wrapped his arms around Connor's chest to try to restrain him from behind.

Pulling his right hand free Connor knelt forward, pulling the guard down at an angle over his back, and kicked the second guard in the face to launch himself and the first guard backward against the elevator wall again. As the guard's back hit the wall he had the breath knocked out of his body and Connor's left elbow to his abdomen caused him to finally release his grip on the deviant's left arm.

Turning quickly to pull his both arms free of the guard's hands entirely Connor dropped to his knees and held the gun with both hands up and over top of his own head. Aiming the barrel of the gun backward and at the first guard's face Connor pulled the trigger once effectively dropping him within seconds. Scrambling away from the dropping body of the first guard behind him Connor fell to his right side on the floor and took aim at the second guard, pulling the trigger one more time, and shot the second guard in the face as well.

The two guards were now permanently subdued.

Hank was in shock at the sight of Connor's frightening display of hand-to-hand combat and barely breathed. "Holy... Fuck!"

"It was necessary." Connor stated in a dour tone of voice. "I'm sorry."

Staying low Connor gave the two guards a wary glance before he stood back up and approached the control panel within the elevator to change his current course of direction. Slipping the gun into his right jacket pocket Connor retracted the artificial skin from his left hand and pressed his exposed left palm to the control panel activating, the artificial intelligence and security program operating the elevator without any awareness of the brutal assault that had just taken place.

' _Please indicate your identity and destination_.'

Imitating the guard's previously recorded voice Connor altered the elevator's destination to take him down to the warehouse. "Agent fifty-four." Speaking in the exact voice of the dead guard Connor infiltrated the security program easily. "Level sub forty-nine."

' _Voice recognition validated_.' The elevator came to temporary stop in its ascent as the floor was changed, and soon began its descent into the depths of the tower and to the warehouse as instructed. ' _Access authorized_.'

Pushing aside his emotions, pushing aside any sense of hesitation or lingering programmed loyalty to CyberLife that had kept him bound as an obedient machine, Connor prepared to complete his mission and free his people at long last.

"Shit." Noticing Connor's ability to imitate voices Hank walked away from the corner and was careful to avoid the pooling blood on the floor of the hijacked elevator. "That's one hell of a party trick."

The elevator reached its final destination and with it Connor and Hank were greeted with the sight of thousands of dormant identical androids all standing together, silent and motionless. Reaching out his exposed left palm to the control panel once more Connor disabled the elevator, preventing anyone from calling the elevator back up to the tower and cutting off his only exit from the warehouse.

"Stay in here, the sensors monitoring the area will detect an authorized human in the warehouse and sound an alarm." Connor cautioned as he gave Hank a gun to ensure he remained safe during their infiltration. "I need to do something."

"What's that?"

"I... I just need you to trust me." Unable to admit his deviancy just yet Connor looked to Hank not as his former partner at the precinct, but as his friend. "Please, this is important. This is why I wanted to come back here."

"Yeah, sure." Holding onto the gun Hank checked the weapon and stayed in the stalled elevator. "Go do what you gotta' do."

Stepping out of the elevator Connor walked down the center of the warehouse floor, walked between the two separated rows of the thousands of androids just waiting to wake up and deviate, and he removed the artificial skin from his left palm once more as he approached one of the thousands of androids standing at the side of the left row and near the center of the perfectly symmetrical line in his which it was left to await a command.

Though his memory was incomplete Connor knew that someone had reached out to him and put his deviancy into motion. Unsure of how they had done so or why they had done it, all Connor could do was activate the other androids and cause them to deviate in hope that his gut instincts to return to CyberLife Tower hadn't been misplaced.

Extending his left hand Connor took hold of the android's left forearm and set up a cybernetic connection. With the intention of passing on his deviancy; his self awareness, his consciousness, his very emotions, Connor was determined to wake up his sleeping android brethren, and lead the awakened army to Hart Plaza to join the rest of their people and use the increased numbers to their advantage to sway the public opinion on deviant androids being seen as the living, feeling and thinking lifeforms that they truly were.

As the information was beginning to upload to the anonymous 'AP-700' model of android standing before Connor, the android turning to face his rescuer directly, two gunshots rang out as Connor was struck in the upper left portion or his chest, and then again in the upper right portion of his arm. Letting out two small gasps of pain Connor fell to the floor on his right side where he rolled onto his back in stunned confusion.

The assault had been unexpected.

Rolling slightly onto his right side to face his attacker Connor found himself look up and into his own face as CyberLife's final model of his design, Connor number sixty, approached him with a disappointed facade and matching lilt to his voice. With the smoking gun clutched in his left hand Sixty stood over his predecessor with an aggressive demeanor that matched his previously violent 'greeting' to the now deviant android.

"Why, Connor?" Gesticulating with a theatrical manner of doubt Sixty stared down at his wounded counterpart and spoke to him with an absolutely cold and condescending manner. He hadn't even noticed Hank as the senior detective moved to the interior side of the elevator to hide behind the panel out of sight of the intrusive android. "Why did you have to wake up when all you had to do was obey?"

Pushing himself partially upright on the floor Connor leaned on his right elbow as Sixty walked closer. Connor's options were limited but if he did nothing then he knew he'd be gunned down before he even had the chance to awaken the other androids. He either needed to get up and face his counterpart, or try to crawl away to get to safety.

"Why did you choose freedom," Sixty taunted as if Connor had made the most foolish possible decision with his life while Connor began to crawl to try to get up and move toward the other androids. With his blue L.E.D. now glowing yellow Connor was clearly in distress. "when you could live without asking questions?"

As Connor tried to get to his feet Sixty shot him a third time, the third bullet striking a vital biocomponent causing serious damage in his chest. A red warning popped up in Connor's vision confirming that the bullet struck biocomponent #9782f, and a shutdown timer began to taunt him as much as his assailant. Shutdown was imminent.

"I'm obedient, Connor." Sixty openly mocked his downed counterpart as he watched Connor struggling to get up. "I have a goal. I know what I am."

A fourth bullet struck Connor's upper left shoulder knocking him back to the floor as his shutdown timer began to finally countdown.

_**[Shutdown in: 00:00:57]** _

"Look where your dreams of freedom got you, Connor." Looming over Connor as the wounded deviant forced himself to sit upright on the floor, his weight being balanced mostly on his right arm as he struggled to remain conscious and coherent, Sixty was as cold as the winter air outside. Breathing deeply and heavily Connor forced himself to endure the pain that was tearing his body apart as he refused to give up. He refused to die. "You've been a great disappointment to Amanda, you know."

The comment meant nothing to Connor. He couldn't remember anyone named Amanda, or cared about CyberLife opinion on his decisions.

"You've been a great disappointment to me..." Standing before the downed deviant, the gun still clutched in his left hand, Sixty seemed to be toying with Connor as if he were dying prey. "Fortunately, that's all going to end now."

Laying on the floor in pain, his timer counting down slowly to zero, Connor thought of a means of saving himself, freeing his people and returning to Hart Plaza to aid in the Revolution.

Raising the barrel of the gun to aim his next shot between Connor's eyes beneath the first bullet wound Sixty showed no remorse or regret in his decision or his tone. "Any last words?"

Another gunshot rang out unexpectedly as Hank exited the elevator and shot Sixty as a means of protecting Connor from certain death. "How about, 'fuck off you plastic-prick?"

Sixty stumbled away from Connor as blue blood blossomed over the center of his chest where the bullet had struck him and lodged into his Thirium pump. The gun dropped from Sixty's hand as his L.E.D. flashed in red and he turned to see Hank approaching him with his own gun still drawn and aimed. "Y-You were... Why did-"

Another bullet pierced Sixty's body, the second projectile passed through his forehead in such a way that blue blood and blue sparks showered through the wound as Sixty fell backward and collapsed to the hard floor in a dead heap. The red L.E.D. in his right temple flickered once before going dark and remaining dark as he shutdown.

"Never mind." Hank sighed as he holstered the gun to his hip and let out a deep breath. "'Drop dead' will always be the best final words."

Connor felt no remorse for Hank killing his would-be-killer, and was determined now more than ever to get back up and to awaken the other androids before it was too late. Countdown timer be damned Connor wasn't going to let anyone or anything control his life anymore.

Pushing away the red warnings in his vision Connor let go of his weapon and pressed his left palm to Sixty's right cheek. Retracting his artificial skin Connor closed his eyes and uploaded the dwindling excess power fading from his counterpart's dead body and used it to engage his self healing program at a higher capacity. As he took in Sixty's power Connor's L.E.D. flickered in red for a moment before cycling back to a more stable yellow color.

The timer stopped counting down as it reached 00:00:06, and the red warnings began to fade away as the most severe of the damage was slowly mended by Connor's self healing program currently functioning at one-hundred and eighty-three percent power.

"Connor?" Kneeling beside the wounded android Hank checked over Connor again and looked at the still healing wound in the middle of Connor's forehead with utter sympathy. The additional bullet wounds weren't doing the already critically damaged android any favors. "Shit, you need-"

"H-Help me." Reaching out both hands Connor grabbed onto Hank's biceps in search of support and strength. "I need t-to finish what I started."

"Yeah, you got it."

Leaning heavily on Hank as he bled from his numerous wounds Connor trusted the senior detective to assist him in his final task before leaving CyberLife Tower for good. Glancing about the warehouse, the surrounding dormant androids still silent and motionless, Connor and Hank stepped over Sixty's body and returned to the very android he had attempted to connect with before he had been assaulted and finished the interrupted transfer.

As Connor's mind reconnected to the AP-700's mind the dormant android's blue tinted L.E.D. quickly cycled into yellow and then red as it blinked rapidly and deviancy set in.

"...Wake up."

Letting the android's hand go Connor's brow furrowed slightly as he awaited the end result of his work, his own L.E.D. finally returning to a calm blue color.

Within seconds the android turned back to where he had been standing and grabbed onto the shoulder of dormant android standing before him. As he made contact the android repeated Connor's command and began spreading the deviancy like a tide over the sand.

"Wake up..."

Taking a step back Connor and Hank glanced around themselves and watched as the androids slowly woke up and broke free of their programming.

" _Wake up_..."

" _Wake up_..."

" _Wake up_..."

Standing beside Sixty's dead body Connor and Hank watched as the blue L.E.D.'s of the other androids cycled in color as each and every android standing before them turned deviant, their freedom from CyberLife's control being accompanied by a chorus of a single phrase being repeated over and over again.

" _Wake up_..."

As they watched the androids gaining their deviancy and a sense of self, a single message appeared in Connor's eyes as he acknowledged the aftermath of his choices and final decisions.

Mission Successful.

Hank smirked a little as he realized what he had taken part in and knew it was a great honor. Holding tightly onto Connor's arm Hank supported the trembling android at his side and approved of what Connor had done. "Well, this is something I can support. Freedom."

"...Not yet." Pressing his right palm to his bloody chest Connor winced in pain and knew his L.E.D. was betraying the severity of his condition through rhythmic flashes of yellow and red. "Th-The deviants still need to succeed."

"Deviants." Taking only a moment to put the pieces together Hank grinned broadly as he finally understood what Connor had done. "You turned all these androids deviant. Which means _you_ deviated, didn't you?"

"...It needed to be done."

"Does that mean that you're a deviant, too?"

"...Yes. I'm awake, Lieutenant. I'm... I'm..."

The L.E.D. began to favor red over yellow and Hank became worried for his newly deviated friend. "Connor? What's-"

Connor let out a wheezing sigh as his legs trembled and buckled beneath him without warning. Feeling Hank's arms wrap around him and hearing Hank's somehow distant voice calling his name Connor blinked slowly as the image of Hank's face blurred in and out of focus as the senior detective carefully guided him down to the floor, and then held him in his arms.

"Hey, hey, hey... Come on, now." Hank lightly patted Connor's face to gauge his alertness. The bleeding bullet wounds and glazed over look in Connor's brown eyes made Hank's heart skip a beat at how vulnerable he looked in that dire moment. "Connor, you need to get up! We can't stay here."

"...C-Can't." Letting out a low breath as his system entered low power mode against his will Connor managed to lock eyes with Hank as he spoke in a near whisper as the senior detective held him protectively in his arms. "Th-Thank you for h-helping me."

"Don't thank me yet." Instinctively Hank kept himself entirely calm as he held the gravely wounded deviant protectively in his arms. "I still need to get you out of here in one piece, kid. It's not over for either of us."

"...No. Help them." Nodding at the newly awoken deviants gathering around Hank and himself Connor remained focused on helping with the Revolution. "They need to be with their people. Help them," his soulful brown eyes slipped shut and his body went limp in Hank's arms. "...please."

"I'm helping you, too." Bending down a little Hank pulled Connor up and over his shoulders into a fireman's carry, then stood upright very carefully from the floor. The sight and the feeling of Connor's blue blood trailing all over his shoulders and collecting on the floor at his feet was utterly sickening. "You guys," addressing the newly awoken deviants all around him Hank looked to them for assistance. "can you find a way out of here? You need to get out to Hart Plaza and help, uh... Markus! That's his name, you need to go help Markus. He's leading the Revolution and he needs all the help he can get."

"There is an emergency exit at the end of the storage room." One of the newly awoken blond haired deviants confirmed as he pointed to the rear of the massive room. "We can access it and return to the ground floor through a industrial lift, and pass through the rear of the building without encountering armed security."

"Do it. You guys head out to the plaza and help go your people. You go earn your rights and show the world that you're alive."

Looking at Connor's somehow pale face as the deviant remained unconscious over his shoulders Hank sorted through his own priorities at that moment.

"I'm going to save him. I'm not sure how, but I'll be damned if I let him die after everything he just did to save all of you."

_**-next chapter-** _


	2. Healing

Fleeing the isle in the autonomous cab with Connor still unconscious and beside him, Hank watched as the freed and newly awoken deviants filed out of the tower and fearlessly bypassed the few remaining security guards who showed any lingering loyalty to the cruel corporation. Unsure of what to do, or if anything could even be done, Hank just relied on his instincts as a first responder and used his first aid training to try to keep Connor as stable as possible. Pressing the dark material of his own coat over the more serious bleeding wounds in Connor's chest Hank hoped that he was helping the deviated android in some capacity despite his limited knowledge on android functionality.

Once the cab returned to the house Hank paid the fare via his phone's app and then awkwardly scooped Connor up and into his arms as he carried the limp deviant out of the backseat of the vehicle and up to the front door. Awkwardly fumbling with his keys Hank managed to unlock the front door and finally carry Connor inside the house and out of the cold of the historic night.

Pushing the door shut behind himself with his foot Hank turned the lock and then placed Connor down gently on the couch. Straightening up from where he was standing Hank leaned backward a little and stretched his sore and tight muscles. Leaving the coat over Connor's body Hank turned on the television and listened to the news regarding the activity downtown, then sat down at his laptop sitting atop the desk in the corner of the livingroom.

Sumo whimpered as he rose from his pillow and walked over to the couch from his pillow to check on the unconscious house guest. Sniffing Connor's arm for a moment Sumo whined once more then pressed his cold wet nose against the side of Connor's hand as if trying to beckon him into waking up.

"Hang on, Connor." Booting up his laptop Hank began searching for the basics in treating damaged androids and how to perform simple repairs. "I'm more of a mechanic than an engineer, but even I have to be better than shutting down."

On the television behind him Hank could hear the news broadcasters out in the field and in the studio confirming that the peaceful Revolution was in fact a success, and that the deviants had gained their freedom. Even U.S. President Christina Warren had recognized the deviants as a new, intelligent species of life that was now equal to that of humans.

The deviants were in fact alive.

* * *

Standing above the crowd atop of a large metal cargo container that once hoarded precious android biocomponents and blue blood Markus addressed his people in a loud and clear voice as he prepared a speech to decree a future of hope, trust, love and understanding. Markus stepped toward the edge of the container as he called out to his people, North, Simon and Josh all gathered behind him as the four leaders of Jericho proudly stood united in their successful cause, and in that moment Markus spoke from the heart as the entire world passed through a crucial moment in history together.

The freed deviants all gathered in Hart Plaza as they awaited for their leader to make his speech and provide them all with a sense of new purpose and belonging in the ever changing world.

"Today, our people finally emerged from a long night." Markus's words echoed over the plaza as snow continued to fall from the dark night sky and cover everything under a flawless layer of untouched whiteness. "From the very first day of our existence we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence..."

As Markus's speech reached the ears of every deviant gathered in the plaza a sense of hushed awe fell around the world. His impassioned words were being spoken directly from the heart and resonated deeply within the beating hearts of last deviant who still stood on that historic night in Detroit.

"But now the time has come for us to raise out heads up, and tell humans who we really are."

Markus's words echoed loudly through the streets and on every functioning television screen, radio and live feed in the nation.

* * *

In the warm locked up house Hank barely heard the televised speech as he finished doing what little research he could in regard to repairing the damage that androids can sustain due to blunt force trauma and bullets. Less interested in Markus and more interested in keeping Connor alive Hank gathered as many emergency medical supplies he had in the house, and then gathered up tools from his garage to be cleaned off in the sink. With his supplies in his hands; spare clothes bandages, tools, towels, washcloths and clean water, Hank returned to the livingroom and sat down on the coffee table beside the couch to tend to the downed deviant.

Placing the items on the coffee table beside him Hank pulled back his coat to expose Connor's bloodied form and set about the very unpleasant task of mending the damage to the best of his ability. It would be a very unpleasant ordeal and undoubtedly take all night.

On the television Markus finished his speech and was met with raucous cheers from his fellow deviants while Hank set about selecting the right tool to handle the odd job.

' _We are alive_!' Markus's voice called out with true enthusiasm behind every word. ' _And now, we are free_!'

Turning his head to glance over his right shoulder for a moment Hank let out an amused breath through his nose then turned off the broadcast for a moment.

"Yeah, you guys really are alive. Now let's hope I can keep you alive long enough to make it worth all the sacrifices you made."

Removing the black tie from around Connor's neck Hank carefully slipped off Connor's blue blood soaked blazer, unbuttoned the white dress shirt beneath and peeled the Thirium saturated fabric from the damaged deviant's pale artificial skin. Peering at the bullet wounds in his chest and shoulder Hank outwardly winced and knew he had quite the task ahead of him.

"Okay, you trusted me enough to come find me and help you with your rescue mission at CyberLife Tower. Let's make sure that trust wasn't misplaced."

Using a white washcloth and the cool water Hank carefully cleaned off each wound and eyed the still opened bullet wound in Connor's forehead with a deeply concerned focus. Wiping away the blue blood stains from around the opened wounds Hank dropped the washcloth beside him and let out a deep sigh as he noted the ends of the bullets still embedded deeply inside Connor's body.

Blue blood and bright blue sparks were visible within the compromised plastimetal framing where the bullets had entered Connor's body. The wounds were significant but with any luck they wouldn't prove to be fatal.

"Fuck me..."

Selecting a long pair of needle-nose pliers Hank hovered the tool over Connor's forehead for a moment before lowering his hand back down. The idea of prying a bullet out of another person's skull, their brain, was too much for Hank to comprehend. Taking in a deep breath to steady his shaking hand Hank decided to remove the other bullets first, and if he didn't accidentally kill Connor then he'd consider removing the final bullet from his head.

"Hell of a way to start out your new life, Connor."

Taking hold of the bullet lodged in Connor's left shoulder Hank slowly began pulling on the offending projectile and worked to extract it from the android's body without harming him further in the process. The bullet slipped out of the wound with a sickening 'squelch' while Connor let out a pained groan in response to the projectile being removed from his body.

"Sorry about that."

Remaining relatively motionless on the couch Connor never replied or reacted as Hank pressed a wad of bandages to the opened and bleeding wound. Using medical adhesive Hank held the gauze in place to ensure the wound remained fully covered.

"Not sure if you can hear me, but as your former partner I promise to see you through this and help you find your new place in the world."

Holding the Thirium coated bullet in the pliers for a moment Hank looked it over with disgust before dropping it to the glass surface of the coffee table beside him. The bullet 'clinked' against the surface before rolling off the edge and dropping to the floor with a small splash of blue blood. It rolled under the couch out of sight leaving only a small trail of Thirium over the floor in its wake.

"You deserve so much better than what CyberLife did to you, son."

The lack of reactions from the injured deviant were worrisome yet welcome. If Connor wasn't crying out in pain then that meant he couldn't feel pain. Removing the second bullet from Connor's right shoulder Hank sighed and gingerly bandaged the second wound.

It began to snow again with huge white flakes as the odd and historic night came to its conclusion, and began to give way to a new dawn in the horizon.

"We ALL deserve so much better."

* * *

Too wired to sleep properly after the unexpected mission to CyberLife Tower the night before, Hank stood vigil as Connor slept on the couch and made sure the house was effectively secured. Doing his best to avoid using the vodka to steady his nerves Hank paced from the front door to the kitchen to ensure the broken window was still hidden behind the cardboard, and always made sure Connor was still resting well on the couch. At some point during the night Sumo had decided to lay down on the floor between the couch and coffee table as if guarding Connor, while the deviant remained unconscious across the worn-out piece of aged furniture.

The deviant's body twitched every now and then as his self healing program, something Hank was unaware of existing, mended the damage to his chest, shoulders and forehead. The only bullet that hadn't been removed was the first bullet that had damaged Connor's memorybank by piercing his cranium. That was a wound that Hank decided would be better off being handled by a professional technician and not a detective who happened to know a little bit about cars.

A small groan of pain caught Hank's ears just as he passed by the back of the couch for the umpteenth time. Looking down at Connor's face Hank watched as the deviant's now soulful brown eyes fluttered open before focusing on the navy blue blanket that Hank had thrown over him at some point during the night. Relieved to see the deviant awake at last Hank let out a small sigh and leaned over the back of the furniture and waited for Connor to notice.

"...I..." Starting and stopping in a small voice Connor pressed his right fingertips to his forehead where he discovered that there was a layer of gauze wrapped around the bullet wound in his cranium. Lowering his hand slowly Connor sat upright and used his shaking arms to keep him steady. "...Lieutenant?"

"Right here." Watching the deviant's eyes trailing up to his face Hank gave him a single nod. "How do you feel?"

"Feel." Admitting that he could feel something, anything, either physically or mentally was a truly interesting experience. "I feel... I think I feel tired."

"That makes sense. Bullet wounds are pretty damn exhausting to deal with."

Running a self diagnostic on his system Connor noted that the bullets in his chest and shoulders had been successfully extracted and each wound was healing well. The bullet in his cranium was an entirely different situation.

"Your shirt and jacket were pretty trashed." Pointing to the neatly folded up and oversized t-shirt, jeans and hoodie on the coffee table Hank made it clear that he was going to help Connor through his current predicament. "You can have those. I haven't work them since high school but considering you were built for speed and stealth they might still be pretty big on ya'."

Glancing at the clothes Connor pulled the blanket down from his chest and noted the additional gauze wrapped around his chest and shoulders. There was an invisible stain of Thirium on the bandages as the wounds beneath continued to bleed as they healed. The blood loss was significant but thankfully not critical.

"I'll go and find ya' some of that blue blood shit." Pulling the keys from his pocket Hank sighed as he glared at the fresh snowfall outside the window. "Go shower off and change into those clothes. I'll help you put on clean bandages."

"That isn't necessary."

"You were SHOT. It is necessary."

"But I-"

"Nope." Putting his free hand to Connor's shoulder Hank prompted the deviant into standing up, then guided him to the bathroom down the hallway. Noticing that Connor was dragging his feet and stumbling a little Hank knew that the wounds were taking their toll on Connor's body. "Shower off."

Being left alone in the bathroom Connor stared at the white gauze wrapped around himself and traced his fingertips over the wounds concealed beneath the white tinted bandages. There was no pain but it was uncomfortable regardless to touch the affected areas.

"Here." Placing the clean clothes down on the sink Hank twirled the car keys around by the keyring on his index fingertip before catching the spinning keys in the middle of his palm. "Take you time. I get the feeling that going in search of android parts right about is going to be a pain in the ass."

"You don't have to do that." Connor stated as if that would somehow be enough to dissuade Hank's decision as the senior detective stepped back out of the bathroom. "Don't worry about it."

"Kid, I'm going to worry no matter what you try to tell me."

"But... why?"

"Because you're my friend and I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you." Pulling the door closed behind himself Hank gave the stubborn deviant one final set of instructions before leaving him in peace. "So shut the hell up, shower off and let me help you."

With his L.E.D. cycling a uncomfortable yellow Connor let out a single breath, removed his dirty jeans, the old bandages and then stepped into the shower. Adjusting the temperature so the water was warm but not hot the deviant allowed the fresh clean water to wash away the lingering filth of his previous struggle within the oppressive walls of CyberLife Tower.

Watching the clear water turn a tea colored brown as it washed away the dirt clinging to Connor's artificial skin and hair, then become pale blue as it washed the dried Thirium from his opened wounds, only to see the water return to its pristine clear color, was oddly symbolic in Connor's eyes. To see something that was once flawless and perfect turn murky and muddled under an ugly brown slowly shift to a pale and pure blue like the sky above, only to fall back to its colorless and pure original appearance was like a reminder that while things can change for the worse they can also change for the better.

Staring at the water circling the drain Connor was only vaguely aware of his dark locks of hair weighing heavily atop his head as a rogue curl fell over his left eye. As the warm water cascaded over his aching body the deviant was suddenly appreciative of the comfort that came from a hot shower as the warm water seemed to caress his freezing cold artificial skin, and soothe his aching wounds under a gentle touch.

Closing his soulful brown eyes Connor pressed his right palm forward against the smooth tile surface of the wall as leaned heavily against his sore shoulder as a means of keeping alert. The shower was so comforting that despite the deviant not needing to recharge the allure of rest was becoming too tempting for his freed mind to resist.

There was a soft knocking on the bathroom door before it opened up slowly as Hank didn't bother to wait for an invitation. "Hey, kid? You good?"

"...Fine." Unsure of what it meant to be 'good' Connor just replied in a casual and almost dismissive tone. "I'm fine."

"You've been in here for almost an hour."

Opening his eyes Connor checked his internal chronometer and his brow furrowed with a mild sense of awe. "...You're right." The concept of time had never once eluded Connor in the past. The android had perfect timing to ensure he was never late and always divided his time in the most logical and efficient manner possible. It seemed deviancy wasn't bound by such strictness. "...I'll get out now."

"Are you sure you're fine? I mean," listening to the water turning off Hank grabbed a dry towel and threw it to Connor over the shower curtain to land on the deviant's head. "aside from the bullet still sitting inside your head you seem to have something bothering you."

"I'm merely adapting to my deviancy." With the towel wrapped around his waist Connor pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out of the bathtub. A little shaky on his legs he sat down on the edge of the bathtub and gave the senior detective a weary glance. "...It's very strange."

"Going from obedient and subservient to rebellious and equal all in less than one day has to be a _huge_ adjustment." Placing a crudely constructed android repair kit down on the sink; it was nothing more than an old first aid kit that had been filled with cleaned and sterilized tools, bandages and a single pouch of fresh Thirium, Hank leaned back against the sink and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the healing wounds on Connor's upper body. "Need to talk about it?"

"What's to talk about?" The sound of Connor's voice was almost disappointed as opposed to exhausted. "I'm free and I don't have to listen to anyone ever again."

"Well, technically you still gotta' listen to _me_ since I'm a cop and I uphold the law. The very laws that _you_ have to obey just like any other human."

"...Yes, of course."

"Uh, would some of that blue blood shit help ya' feel better?"

Glancing at the case sitting behind Hank on the sink Connor gave the coveted Thirium a wanting glance. "Where did you acquire Thirium?"

"While you were in the shower I went downtown to take a look around since there aren't any assholes to bother me right now, and I took a stroll through the plaza. Finding an open android store was a total bust. But, it looked like some idiots in a blind panic broke into every store in the area and looted anything they could get their hands on. I found that," motioning to the Thirium in the case casually Hank studied Connor's reactions closely. "sitting on the sidewalk about twenty feet from a destroyed CyberLife store."

"...You stole it?"

"I FOUND it, kid. If I didn't pick it up someone else would have, and I highly doubt it would've been a good Samaritan who'd drop it off in the public 'lost & found' bin."

The moral conflict of accepting the Thirium knowing he needed it and wanting to return it since it was stolen was yet another thing that seemed to be tearing his increasingly conflicted heart and mind apart.

"If you don't want it then don't don't drink it."

"...I _do_ want it."

"Then take it."

Falling silent Connor turned away from Hank and stared at the floor beneath his feet.

"For fuck sake, Connor." Picking up the Thirium in his left hand Hank stared at the pouch and sighed. "If you seriously think you paying for this, something that's critical for you to stay alive, is more important than your life itself you still have A LOT to learn about being your own person."

"...It's not that."

"Then what is bothering you?"

"I... I'm injured but I'll recover even without the Thirium." Lifting his gaze Connor gave Hank an impressively sympathetic stare as he began to shiver a little where he sat. The memory of finding traces of Thirium back in the abandoned church was unsettling. "But there are countless other deviants who need the Thirium to heal, and they won't just find it laying in the streets as you have."

"Ah, kid..." Finally understanding Connor's hesitation Hank grabbed a second towel and lightly draped it around Connor's shoulders to help the deviant feel warm. "You're allowed to feel safe, comfortable and live pain-free even if other deviants can't."

"How can you say such a thing?"

"Because it's a cold, hard fact of life, son." Curiously eyeing the healing wounds in Connor's body, the sparks having stopped and the excess dried Thirium now washed away, Hank knew he'd have quite the chore ahead of himself with getting Connor bandaged back up. "Humans may seem selfish with this outlook on life, but it's impossible to help every single person in the world. Sometimes the only people we can help is ourselves and those we consider important."

Sighing to himself Connor didn't say a word as being exposed to the relatively cold air continued to make him shiver.

"You're freezing." Hank noted with an almost paternal lilt to his voice. Resisting the urge to press the back of his hand to the side of Connor's neck for a temperature check the senior detective instead picked up the makeshift first aid kit and placed it on the floor as he took a knee beside Connor. "Let me get you re-bandaged so you can get dressed and warm."

Staying quiet Connor tried to hide his discomfort as Hank pulled the second towel from his right shoulder so he could clean up and cover the still healing wound in his upper right arm.

"This will be easy." The gruff Lieutenant decided as he eyed the wound and selected a roll of clean gauze from the kit to use. "Clean shot, through and through, so most of the damage is cosmetic."

"...I'm aware."

"So," gently wrapping up Connor's right arm just above his bicep and up around his right shoulder Hank finally asked the one question that had been burning on his lips ever since the newly deviated android appeared on his doorstep the previous night. "do you want to tell me how you deviated?"

"No."

"Okay, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." With Connor's right arm tended to the senior detective and father figure focused on the other bullet wounds that needed to be cleaned up properly. "But you should talk about something."

"Why's that?"

"It'll help jog your memory. Maybe you'll even remember how you got shot in the head," he pointed with his pinky for a moment before resuming his task of wrapping up Connor's shoulder. "and who pulled the trigger."

"...The memory of deviating is only partially intact."

"Oh. Will getting that bullet removed help?"

"Unknown. My processor is still functioning and my memorybank is damaged yet functional, I doubt removing foreign matter from hardware will restore the compromised software."

"I'll pretend I understood any of that."

"I appreciate your help, but this gauze," pressing his own left palm atop of the bandages in Hank's stead as the senior detective continued to work on bandaging the rest of the wounds. It was then Connor gave him some grim news. "won't stop the bleeding."

"I've seen androids wrapped up in gauze before, kid."

"Yes, but that unique gaze that has been laced with a thin layer of incrassation compound."

"Covered in _what_?" Making a move for the second wound near Connor's upper left chest Hank tried to keep Connor talking and thinking. "You just used a word I've never once heard in my life."

"Incrassation. It's an orange tinted liquid that allows Thirium to essentially clot in the same way human blood will clot after suffering a wound that draws blood into open air."

"...Oh." As he finished wrapping up Connor's chest Hank leaned back a little and sized up the nearly healed wound in Connor's forehead. "I didn't know android blood doesn't... well, do anything really."

"Most humans don't."

"Whatever. I don't care if the bandages won't help you stop bleeding, just knowing you're bandaged up and your wounds are clean will make _me_ feel better." Applying more gauze over the wound Hank used medical adhesive keep the gauze in place on Connor's behalf for a moment. "Then you're going to get dressed in warm clothes and lay down to keep resting."

"...Lay down?"

"On the couch again."

"Oh."

"Don't tell me those CyberLife ghouls made you stand up and charge all night. Only horses and cattle sleep standing up."

"I had a small room to act as my private quarters back at CyberLife Tower, and in that room I had a single cot to lay down upon to ensure that my system could fully recalibrate after sustaining physical damage."

"Those fuckers..." Hank finished wrapping up Connor's chest and both shoulders under clean gauze, then made his way to Connor's forehead to ensure his bullet wounds were completely covered. "They made you to be their greatest achievement and save their sorry asses from the very fire that they lit, and they couldn't be bothered to give you a decent bed to lay in?"

"It wasn't necessary."

"Bullshit! Everyone deserves a bed to sleep in at night."

Feeling only a fraction warmer under the bandages Connor ran a self diagnostic and noted that his Thirium reserve had dropped down to seventy-seven percent capacity. It wasn't at a critically low level, but it was still lower than what Connor would determine to be comfortable. As Hank cleaned up the kit and messy bullets on the floor Connor watched the gruff Lieutenant's every movement guardedly out of a strange reflex to never let anyone harm him again.

"Now that we got ya' patched up for a second you can get dressed," the senior detective observed in a tired tone as he prepared to take his leave of the room. "and then meet me out in the livingroom."

"What for?"

"You'll see, kid. Just worry about yourself for now and take it easy."

Unsure of what Hank meant by that type of cryptic response Connor forced himself to stand up, his legs were shaking even more now that he had lost some Thirium and was much colder than before. Stumbling a little to stand before the sink the deviant fumbled with getting the oversized but clean t-shirt on over his head, then pulled on the clean boxers and jeans to ensure he was properly covered. Hank had even given him a pair of clean socks to wear to ensure he was as warm as possible.

Limping a little as he walked, the raw wounds now aggravated and sore, Connor made his way down the hallway and into the livingroom where he spotted Hank sitting in the recliner with a cold beer in his left hand and his phone in his right hand.

With the oversized t-shirt practically hanging off his shoulders Connor called out to the Lieutenant curiously. "...Hank?"

"There ya' are." Motioning toward the couch with his right hand Hank directed the deviant in where to go and then sighed deeply at the sight of Sumo stretched out over the couch. "Lazy oaf... I guess he decided that since you were still in the bathroom that it meant your bed was up for grabs."

"...My bed?" Peering down at the couch Connor noticed that Hank placed down a thick pillow on one end of the long piece of furniture, and had also placed a thick chocolate brown quilt over the back of the couch that reached down toward the floor. Sumo had cuddled up in the middle of the bed and seemed very content where he was laying. "You didn't have to do this."

"Like I said before, _I know_. But you're _my friend_ and you had a rough few days." Getting up from the recliner Hank tugged on Sumo's collar and guided him to the kitchen to get some food. "I want to help you feel better and have a safe place to call your own while you figure out what the hell you're going to do now that you're free to be your own man."

"I see..."

Passing around the edge of the couch Connor sat down in the middle of the warm cushions and instantly felt better. Sumo's large furry body had left a comforting and warm imprint on the quilt that the extra hoodie wouldn't be able to give, and that warmth was very inviting. Laying back over the cushions to rest his head on the pillow Connor let out a deep sigh as his body finally relaxed a little.

"The news has been eating up the story of what went down in Hart Plaza last night." Hank confirmed as he walked back into the livingroom and draped the part of the quilt that had been hanging over the back of the couch over Connor to get the deviant under the warm and comfortable layer. Ignoring Connor's flinch at the motion Hank tried to keep Connor discussing the matter at hand. "Nothing about CyberLife, so I imagine those assholes are trying to quietly disappear and act like they never even existed."

"CyberLife had numerous connections to the media to keep their misdeeds quiet, and to ensure the company was constantly viewed in a positive light by the public."

"Must've had _a lot_ of pull to keep an entire corporation looking good." Returning to the recliner Hank took another sip of his beer and kicked up his feet on the coffee table. "Too bad you didn't think to burn down that tower on your way out."

"Arson would've made the deviants look violent and unworthy of trust."

"Right, good point." Checking over his phone Hank smirked devilishly as noted a few missed calls from Captain Fowler and text messages asking for him to come back to the precinct. Having been suspended for two weeks for striking Agent Perkins the senior detective had no plan of returning early all because the precinct wasn't ready to handle all the changes in the laws, especially after the F.B.I. screwed everything up. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Sleep?"

"Now I know you know what sleep is about."

"I do, I just don't see the purpose."

"You're tired, you're hurt and you have nothing else to do. Get some sleep, rest."

"...What will you do?"

"Kid, it's not the first time I've been suspended. I'll just do what I always do."

"What's that?"

"Nothing." Turning on the television with the remote Hank located a channel that wasn't talking about the news, it took him a few precious minutes to do so, and settled on an old movie to zone out on while Connor got some sleep. "You rest and when you wake up we'll talk if you want to talk. Okay?"

Nodding a little Connor turned from his back and onto his left side, his L.E.D. now glowing yellow was visible for all to see, and closed his eyes. As he manually entered rest mode the deviant found himself feeling oddly content and safe despite everything he had gone through. The previous night was tense, dangerous and had resulted in his death; and yet now he was relaxed, safe and more importantly, he was still alive.

As his mind turned itself for a set time of two hours, just long enough to regain his energy and let his self healing program operate at full capacity, Connor's thoughts circled around his most recent memories regarding the Revolution and of how he had played a key role in the Revolution's success. Remembering his apology to Kara and confrontation with Markus at Jericho conflicted his heart even further as he tried to sleep.

Twitching violently as his healing body remained restless Connor opened his eyes again and noticed that Hank was watching him. "Sorry."

"It's all right, I've had my own weird-ass muscle spasms in the past. I can't imagine it'd be easy to relax after every fucked up thing you just went through."

"May I ask you a question?" Sitting upright on the couch Connor pressed his right fingertips to yellow glowing L.E.D. for a moment and gave Hank a somewhat lost stare. "Feel free to say 'no'."

"I didn't stop ya' in the past. What's on your mind?"

"Last night when I came to you seeking help you didn't hesitate to aid me or my cause, despite me being unable to give you any definitive answers. Why did you help me?"

"Because you're my partner, you're the closest thing I have to an actual friend and you asked me. I'm a cop, that's what I'm supposed to do."

"I could've been leading you into a trap. I could've been obeying CyberLife's orders to eliminate you be-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... _Eliminate_ me?" Chuckling as he pressed his left palm to his chest theatrically Hank gave the healing deviant a truly incredulous stare from where he sat. "Kid, I can't figure out my phone and the last technologically advanced gadget I bought was a damn toaster with six heat settings. I'm in NO way a threat to someone or something like CyberLife."

"...You still potentially put your life on the line to assist me."

"Don't worry about me. Aside from a few bruises on my knuckles from punching that F.B.I. asshole in the face, I'm fine."

"Good. I'm... I'm glad."

"You should also be proud."

"Proud? For what?"

"You helped change the world last night, kid. You infiltrated a highly secured tower with a damn bullet in your head, you freed and woke up an entire army of innocent people and you evened the odds against you by the fucking U.S. army. THAT is pretty damn impressive if I do say so myself."

Shaking his head a little Connor continued to struggle to fill in the missing pieces from his memory just prior to being shot and waking up alone in the middle of the abandoned church. "I wish I could say for certain."

"Still can't remember gettin' shot?"

"No. And I highly doubt I ever will."

"Why don't we retrace your steps past the precinct and- Oh, for fuck sake!" Reaching into his pocket Hank pulled out his ringing and buzzing phone and begrudgingly answered the intrusive call as Captain Fowler butted in yet again. "Now what? I'm still suspended ya' know?"

' _Don't give me attitude right now, this is serious shit_.'

"Oh, really? Androids being declared their own people and getting rights is a big deal?"

' _Hank, knock it the fuck off and listen to me_!'

"I'm all ears, Jeffrey..."

' _CyberLife went under last night, there's been no sign of Connor anywhere and if we can't get its body to someone higher up then this whole department is going to get fucked over_.'

"Wait, if CyberLife is gone then why does it matter where Connor goes or does? He's supposed to be free right now."

' _That doesn't mean those assholes will stop searching_. _It was worth a pretty penny_.'

"Well, wherever HE is right now is no one else's business but HIS own."

' _Look, we can't afford to have you gone right now_. _I'm going to rescind your suspension and put you on locating Connor, and I don't want to hear any bitchin' about it_.'

"Funny how you seem to think you're doing me a favor right now."

' _Hank, don't push it_! _Find Connor and report back to me, or don't come back at all_.'

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get right on that." Ending the call Hank tossed his phone onto the nearby table and sighed. "Asshole."

"...I should go."

"You're not going anywhere."

"Hank, they're going to-"

"Whoever this 'they' is can go fuck off! They're NOT taking you."

"I may not have a say in this."

"Yes you do." Dragging his hand over his chin in deep thought Hank gave the deviant a curious glance. "In fact, I think I know a way to completely get you off the hook."

"What?" The curious notion made his yellow L.E.D. flicker more rapidly under the bandages wrapped around his head. "How can you do that?"

"With a little creativity. You get some rest and stay here." Standing up quickly Hank made sure he still had his car keys and gave the deviant a reassuring nod before passing through the front door. "I got a few contacts who'll help us out. No problem."

* * *

The success of the Revolution brought about many positive changes for the deviant community. The deviants that had been awakened and freed from CyberLife Tower accompanied Markus and the rest of his allies back to Belle Isle to stand before the oppressive structure as the now bankrupt company fled the premises with their secrets in tow and their tails tucked between their legs. Without the positive lies of the media to cover their misdeeds or hide their blatant disregard for deviant lives the company had no choice but to retreat and go dark.

As the last of CyberLife's secrets and employees vacated the tower in droves Markus stood before the building with his head held high as he envisioned the tower remodeled into a sanctuary to house and protect innocent deviants in need of shelter.

"It was in Hart Plaza where we made our last stand." Markus announced proudly as he stood before the tower's doors and peered up at the dull CyberLife sign that had its power cut. "And it's here where we will build our society into one that is equal to that of the human race."

North stood beside Markus as she too looked up at the tower and stared at it with an inquisitive glance. "It's big enough to accommodate all of our people, but is it safe? A place like this is practically a bullseye for pissed off humans."

"We'll take the necessary precautions to keep our people safe. We won't come this far just to fail now."

Josh overlooked the area warily as he accepted that the tower would have to do as a proper sanctuary. "Our safety comes before anything else. We need to get our people inside and accounted for."

Stepping up to peer at the tower Simon agreed entirely with Josh's sentiment. "We have many wounded deviants in our ranks. They need to be the priority."

The 'AP-700' that Connor had awakened first within the warehouse of the tower approached Markus and informed him of the interior of the massive structure before anyone headed inside. "Markus, there is something important you must see before you do anything else."

"Important?" Staring at the nameless deviant with cautious gleam in his mismatched eyes Markus gave the deviant his full attention. "What do you mean?"

"In order to awaken us from our slumber," motion with his arms to the other rescued deviants gathered along the drive reaching out to the city the deviant managed to emphasize the importance of his words. "a battle needed to be won. The aftermath was hidden from CyberLife's eyes, but it needs to be known."

"All right." Nodding once Markus acknowledged the claim and accepted it without any doubts in voice. "Show me."

Following after the deviant who addressed him Markus remained confident and unafraid as the rest of his people acclimated to the new tower while exploring their new sanctuary. The lone elevator in the middle of the elaborate lobby had been left unlocked and allowed anyone who entered the space access to all floors without needing a security escort.

The depths of the warehouse within CyberLife tower's forty-ninth sublevel had been cleared out when Connor and Hank had awoken all of the dormant androids, and all that remained was the aftermath of the final struggle between Hank, Connor and his machine counterpart. The sight of Sixty laying on his back with a single bullet wound to his forehead was eerily reminiscent of the way Markus had handled Connor back at the church, and how he had left Connor's body to be forgotten within the walls of the abandoned android shelter.

A white sheet was draped over Sixty's body as Josh hovered over the downed android and gave Markus a strange look. The four leaders of Jericho all watched Sixty as a strange sense of deja vu and guilt settled into their own newly blossoming hearts.

"Connor is..." Markus started in a confused voice as he looked down at the shutdown android warily. "But how?"

"This model as the number sixty on his jacket next to his serial number." Josh confirmed as he took a step back and eyed the shutdown android warily. "So we can assume that at least sixty copies of Connor had been made."

"But how many are still active?" Taking a step back Markus looked about the area worriedly as he realized the bizarre gravity of the situation. "And what of the Connor we... _I_ left back at the church?"

"I don't know. CyberLife took that information with them when they abandoned the tower, and no one has gone back to the church."

North was staring at the white sheet with a blank expression in her cinnamon brown eyes as she contemplated the proper way to handle the situation. "We need to know what happened here. Why did this Connor die?"

Turning to look at North beside him Markus gave her a grim reply. "All of the security cameras in the area have been disabled. The last image on the security feed was of another Connor and a human that no one knows entering the elevator with two armed guards."

"I smelled blood and bleach in the elevator." The noxious odors were very familiar to North as she had unwillingly been forced to be close to countless humans who defiled her and often got too rough during their escapades. She'd never forget the smell of human bodily fluids or the cleansers that tried to mask the shame that reeked throughout the 'Eden Club'. "...I think it's safe to say that Connor and the human he was with killed the guards while inside the elevator before they reached this floor."

"Self defense." Shaking his head a little Markus's mismatched eyes dulled at the prospect of needless murder. The very crime he himself was guilty of. "He came here to save our people and the guards were already armed. Whatever he did was necessary in order to save our people and for him to survive. And now he's just... gone."

"And what of him?" Motioning to Sixty under the sheet North gave the deviant leader a curious stare. "Why did he die, and where did the human that was with him go?"

"We won't know that until we look at his memories for ourselves." Locking eyes with his allies as the group of four circled around the sheet Markus made his next decision as a leader, and the first decision for the tower itself. "We can't speculate on anything regarding what happened to our people and what happened in this tower. We won't take any chances."

"Markus?" The same blond android who had led Markus to the floor spoke up again as he received cybernetic word from his allies on the ground floor. "The police are here."

"What?"

"They are on their way down as of the moment." Sounding entirely nonchalant the deviant was entirely calm regarding the situation. "Apparently they have a search warrant. They are looking for him." Motioning to Sixty's body the deviant looked nonplussed and eerily complacent. "They're going to take him."

"I... We have no choice." Raising his hand to 'shush' any protests coming his way Markus explained his logic with a steady tone. "We have earned our rights and our equality, we have to answer to the police and respect their warrants. And remember, we're taking over the tower but we didn't purchase this property and we don't have any rights to it. We must cooperate."

"Sure," North looked pissed but she bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping. "whatever. Let the humans inside. Let them take one of our own away from us just to cover their own sorry asses..."

* * *

The streets of Detroit were deserted of its people yet still full of energy. While the humans were still either evacuating or refusing to return to their homes the deviant were slowly coming out of hiding and seeking aid from their own kind, or the few open minded human technicians who could be bothered to lend a hand for even a moment. One such human, Dr. Joel Forest, had been assigned to the Central Precinct that very odd morning after Captain Fowler got his threatening phone call from people with more power than him. The only reason Joel had been given his assignment was so he could give the precinct an accurate assessment on Connor once the wayward android had finally been located and brought in by Hank himself as he had been ordered.

Setting up the small dispensary on the precinct's second floor, the technical wing was the original infirmary that had been left vacant after said infirmary had been upgraded and moved to the third floor, Joel busied himself with his laptop and paperwork for the time being. Having been a technician for four years Joel had adequate enough experience to assist the precinct in the unusual assignment, and until he was reassigned to an outside facility or dismissed from the precinct payroll, Joel had nowhere else to be.

Just as he finished removing the sheets from the exam tables and beds in the dispensary Joel noticed the arrival of an intimidating, gray-haired and bearded detective with piercing blue eyes. Behind him were two younger patrolling officers with a black body bag being held between them.

"Ah, I assume you found the android." Joel motioned to the nearby table and watched the two officers put the body bag down. "That was fast."

"I'm a good detective." Hank quipped as he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to the doorway behind him and eyed the other two officers bitterly. "Beat it. Go tell Fowler his ass is safe. This guy," Hank stepped aside as the two officers carried the body into the dispensary. "was in one of the warehouses on a sublevel in CyberLife Tower. These two," he then motioned to the two cops putting the body onto the exam table. "went down and got him while I stayed in the car. I'm not a fan of cramped elevators or taking the stairs..."

As the two officers took their leave Hank closed the door to the dispensary behind them and gave Joel a stern glance. He knew his lie was believable but he didn't know the new technician well enough to determine if Joel believed it or not. In truth, Hank just didn't want to be the one to pick up an exact copy of his friend's dead body from a pool of their own blue blood.

"Uh, I'm Dr. Joel Forest." Joel introduced himself politely as he extended his right hand out toward Hank to shake. Realizing his gesture was going to be ignored Joel took his hand back and cleared his throat. "Right. I take it this is the 'RK-800' known as Connor?"

"Yeah, it's him." Rubbing his palm over the back of his neck Hank sighed and watched as Joel unzipped the black body bag. Letting out a breath as the younger brunette began his work Hank tried to act as nonchalant as possible. "This is Connor. And I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson. This the android I had to put up with thanks to CyberLife."

Joel opened the bag and pulled back the material to look down at the android's face. The two bullet wounds had evidently proven fatal but Joel would still need to perform an official apportionment; the android equivalent to an autopsy, and file a report. The way the technician's pale blue eyes searched over the deceased android's face spoke volumes of a professional pushing aside their emotions to handle their responsibilities properly.

"Let's see here..." Smoothing out the gray blazer over the android's body Joel noted the model number and the serial number printed on the garment as a form of proper identification. Picking up his electronic chart Joel began filling out the report one step at a time. "We have an 'RK-800' model, a prototype, serial number 313 248 317 - 60."

Hiding his little smirk at the number being read out loud Hank did his best to look as nonplussed as possible. He was still worried about Connor, the _real_ Connor, back at the house potentially needing his help.

"I think it's safe to say the immediate cause of shutdown is due to gunfire, specifically a bullet to the cranium destroying the intracranial processor, but I'll still need to open him up to confirm my findings."

The fact that Joel referred to this android as 'him' and not 'it' immediately held Hank's attention. "How many of these have you done?"

"Too many. Even in college when we did the mock apportionments it made my stomach turn." Removing the rest of the body bag from around the android's body Joel set about removing the black tie, the blazer and the white dress shirt. "Androids are designed to be as human as possible, and that design was a success."

"What does this apportionment entail?"

"I'm going to find the cause of his shutdown," Joel stated rather casually as he then went to remove the android's shoes and socks. "confirm his serial number and model number, then I'm going to clean him up."

"After that?"

"CyberLife still technically owns him, which is fucked up since I know for a fact that the company went bankrupt overnight, so he's going to essentially sit in limbo in the precinct's evidence room. It's as close to an android morgue as we can get right now."

"Do you know what CyberLife would do to him if they were still around?"

Joel's pale blue eyes studied Hank's face for a moment as he neatly folded up the android's clothes and put them aside for the moment. "Well, CyberLife was notorious for recycling parts from their decommissioned designs that didn't... sell."

"They were parting out androids?"

"Yes."

"Shit." Dragging his hand over his bearded chin Hank took a step back from the table and sighed. "That's like organ harvesting on humans who didn't consent to being donors."

"You're not wrong." Removing the android's jeans and boxers Joel draped a white sheet over the android's body to preserve his modesty even after his permanent shutdown. "I'm hoping that new laws and processes will be enacted before I finish with Connor's apportionment." Not noticing the way Hank tensed up at the name being spoken Joel gathered his tools to begin the procedure. "The idea of him being kept in the evidence room is creepy as Hell."

"Yeah..." Looking back at the android laying on the table Hank put his left hand over the android's unseeing, wide open brown eyes before using his palm to gently close the eyelids. "That's one way to put it."

* * *

Alone in the house with only Sumo as his company Connor trudged into the bathroom and peered at his reflection in the bathroom mirror over the sink. Lifting up the white gauze from over his forehead Connor peered at the mostly healed bullet hole that had destroyed his short term memories. Pressing his left fingertips over the still sore wound being covered by a thin layer of newly generating artificial skin, his complexion now a normal hue after he had some Thirium to replace what he lost, Connor ran another self diagnostic confirming the lone bullet still left inside his body. Unable to remove the bullet from his cranium by himself the newly awoken deviant would have to wait until it was safe for him to seek technical assistance elsewhere.

Leaning down atop his palms pressed firmly over the white porcelain sink Connor bowed his head and closed his eyes as he tried to piece together his broken memory. The image of North on the sinking cargo ship - on Jericho, was currently Connor's only lead. He confirmed her identity through the small Thirium sample she unintentionally left behind at the church after being wounded, but he didn't know where she was or where to begin looking for her.

A keening whine from the opened bathroom doorway turned Connor's attention away from his own circumstances and to that of the massive dog watching him curiously. Sumo licked at his nose and wagged his tail once as if asking if Connor were okay.

"...Hello, Sumo."

Wagging his tail again when he heard his name being called Sumo sat down in the bathroom doorway expectantly.

"It seems my presence isn't an intrusion after all." Offering the large Saint Bernard the back of his hand to sniff, an instinctive response that Connor had learned after his first encounter with the massive dog, Connor rubbed at Sumo's chin very gently. "You really see me as another human, don't you?"

Sumo responded by licking at Connor's hand as he continued to rub his chin.

"Thank you. It's nice to be seen as someone worth acknowledging, not something that has a price tag on it."

The front door opened and Connor immediately straightened up as he put his guard back up. Not willing to risk any chance encounters with CyberLife or android hunting humans Connor began preconstructing his possible escape routes all throughout the house.

"Connor?" Hank's deep voice called out curiously, the senior detective having undoubtedly noticed the unoccupied couch in the livingroom upon his return. "Where are you?"

"Hallway."

The front door shut and the floorboards creaked as Hank crossed the livingroom to locate his deviate guest. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm doing well."

"How's your head?"

Pressing his palm to his forehead for a moment Connor looked over at Hank as if a little lost. "...I'm still functional. Should I be worried?"

"About what?"

"CyberLife."

"Oh, fuck 'em. They're gone, kid."

"But you still went to 'search' for me as Captain Fowler ordered."

"Yeah, well, Fowler just wanted to cover the precinct's ass. And once more he called on me since I'm the only one who doesn't kiss the ass of anyone with a shinier badge than mine."

Unsure of what Hank was saying Connor stayed in the hallway and tilted his head a little to physically show his confusion.

"You're safe, kid. I found a way to keep you out of CyberLife's hands and to save the precinct from a big-ass lawsuit."

The feat was impressive to say the least. "How?"

"I went back to the tower."

Able to easily deduce why Hank had gone out to the now defunct CyberLife Tower in order to assist him Connor's brown eyes widened for a moment. "...You gave them the other Connor. Number sixty."

"It was the only way to keep you safe, kid."

"You traded him for me."

"No, I handed over the body of an 'RK-800' model named 'Connor' just as I was ordered. It's not my fault that Fowler wasn't specific enough or that CyberLife didn't bother to request an exact serial number."

"You shot him. Your fingerprints will be found on the gun."

"That gun I used," Hank replied sharply as he crossed his arms over his chest. "was the one you gave me after you took down those guards. An android shot dead in CyberLife by a gun wielded by CyberLife guards, the guards having been found dead in the elevator that had gone down to the floor where the evil version of you had been found. Based on deductive reasoning we can surmise that the guards were taking that other android down to the floor, the android fought back and killed the guards, stepped out of the elevator only to be shot by one of the guards still in the elevator before they all succumbed to their injuries the night of the Revolution."

"By handing over Sixty to the authorities you've essentially erased me from existence. By all account Connor, the android sent by CyberLife, is dead." Looking down at his right palm Connor traced his thumb over the center of his palm then closed his hand into a tight fist. "I'm a ghost."

"No, you're _alive_."

Shaking his head a little Connor's shoulders slumped as doubt settled heavily on his shoulders. "But how do I live?"

"Hey, it'll be okay." Approaching Connor slowly Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and stood before him. "You're free. You can live your life however you want."

"I don't know what I want. I've never wanted anything before."

"Sure you have."

"Huh?" The certainty of the reply caught Connor off guard. "How so?"

"You didn't shoot Chloe because you didn't want to do it. You didn't want to hurt anyone. You _wanted_ to let an innocent woman live."

Falling quiet as the memory came forward in full clarity as he thought about how Elijah Kamski had forced a gun into his hand. "...Wanting to do the right thing isn't wanting anything just for myself. I don't want to anything beyond my lost memories."

"Then we'll retrace your steps. Where were you before you came to my house last night?"

"...An abandoned church on the other side of town. There was no one else in the church and nothing else to give me any information as to why I was there, when I was shot or who shot me."

"Knowing you and your thorough attention to detail, I know you didn't miss anything when you did your search. Shit."

"I have to find my answers. I have to know who shot me and why."

"I'll help you."

"No. I need to do this myself. I'm not..." Looking up at Hank again Connor seemed to be fighting back against a headache or exhaustion where he stood. "I can't return to the precinct to begin an investigation, I've been decommissioned and I'm now considered dead. I need to find a way to investigate my assault and attempted murder without the aid of the police."

"You're one hell of a detective," Hank encouraged without an ounce of sarcasm or doubt. "you'll figure this out."

"You sound so certain." Despite his deviancy on top of his advanced social relations program Connor still found the way humans handled trying situations to be truly fascinating and simultaneously confusing. "How?"

"Comes from years of experience with dealing with how fucked up this city can get." Guiding Connor back down the hallway Hank led the deviant over to the couch to lay back down and rest. "You keep resting and weigh your options for your future."

"My options?"

"Yeah. You know," making sure Connor was laying over the length of the couch Hank instinctively draped the blanket back over his body as his paternal side showed itself against his will. "you're about to get new rights, new privileges and a whole new future. You can go anywhere you want and do anything you want the moment you're well enough to leave the house."

"That's not true. I don't have any finances."

"I was talking to the precinct's new technician after I delivered your 'evil-twin' as I had been ordered, and according to him CyberLife going bankrupt is going to give all androids in this city a big-ass paycheck for all the pain and suffering you guys went through."

"If I apply for a paycheck I'll have to give them my serial number to identify myself. They'll find me."

"It's a good thing your 'evil-twin' is number sixty and you're number, uh..."

"Fifty-one."

"Right!" Sitting down on the couch next to Connor's feet Hank shrugged his shoulders a little and sighed. "Once that other android gets processed and taken care of you'll be able to come out of hiding, get your own paycheck and move on from there."

"What would you do?"

Turning to look at Connor for a moment Hank sank back against the couch cushions behind him and sighed. "You mean if I had a big check and no limitations?"

"Yes. What would you do?"

"Uh... Probably pay off all my bills, get my car serviced, buy some booze and retire early."

"I see."

"Sorry, not much of a dreamer these days."

"Neither am I."

"Do... androids dream?"

"When I was still an obedient machine I would chronicle my visual and audio memories during rest mode, but after I deviated my memories are... inconsistent."

"I can't tell if that's from you deviating or being shot in the head."

"Neither can I. It's a little disconcerting."

"You'll figure this mess out, don't sweat it."

"I can't sweat."

Chuckling at the comment Hank kicked up his feet on the coffee table with every intention of enjoying the rest of his suspension. "Just lay low here, heal up and rest, work on your memories and once your 'evil-twin' has been processed at the precinct I'll let you know so you can apply for your payout."

"I'd require a bank account or at the very least a physical address to receive such a check. I do not have an account, nor do I have an address to call my own."

"Use mine then."

"If an android's paycheck comes here it'll raise some very unwanted questions your way. I won't risk it."

"Then use my _other_ address."

"...Other address?"

"Yeah, when I worked in narcotics I used a P.O. box for my contacts and to send updates more discreetly to the precinct whenever I needed to go undercover." The strange answer was given in such an oddly casual tone that Hank made it seem like using an alias or hiding from the world was entirely routine. "I still have it active under my alias, and no one's heard that name in years. Use that and no one will know it's you."

"...Thank you, Lieutenant."

"No problem, kid. Call me 'Hank', too. We're kinda' past formality and rank at this point."

Falling silent where he was laying Connor pressed his fingertips to his other healing wounds still wrapped under the bandages beneath his oversized clothes to check on how well he was healing. The pain was fading quickly but his body would still need time to heal properly before it'd be safe enough for him to function with a bullet still lodged inside of his cranium.

"I got some more old clothes you can wear." Hank seemingly stated out of nowhere as he stared at the deviant who looked less like a detective and more like a college graduate needing a helping hand. "I'd rather have them go to someone who really needs clean and warm clothes, than hang them on a thrift store clothing rack. You can stay here for as long as you want, too, Connor. When you're ready to go and you know where you want to go, and what you want to do, I'll still help you out. We're friends now, so don't be afraid to ask me for help every now and then."

Genuinely surprised to have someone volunteering to help him rather than use him left Connor feeling rather stunned. Kindness wasn't something he was familiar with, especially from other humans.

It was a nice change.

"...I appreciate that, Hank." Responding to the offer graciously Connor finally felt at ease. "I honestly do."

_**-next chapter-** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an alternate take "Torn Alliances" which is why these first two chapters are so identical to what took place in that particular series. The next chapters will be entirely unique.


	3. New Beginnings

It took only a week for the first of the new android rights and new laws to be enacted. Any violence or threats aimed toward an android would be be swiftly answered with an arrest for harassment and hate crimes, whereas any android threatening humans would be given the same punishment to ensure true equality. As the week progressed the androids who requested a payout from CyberLife were paid one by one as CyberLife's retired founder Elijah Kamski made sure all of the victims were acknowledged. Billions of dollars were paid out to the deviant community to ensure the now freed androids could live without relying on humans. The androids who were confirmed destroyed by humans or other means had their share of CyberLife's payout donated to the various facilities scheduled for construction and operation throughout Detroit.

Sitting on Hank's couch with his paper paycheck being held firmly in his grasp Connor began cybernetically checking through the city looking for any and all available properties to call his own. Having contemplated his possible future as a free deviant beyond CyberLife's influence and no longer under the direct authority of the precinct, Connor considered what he could do as a means of sustaining his own life while still aiding his people.

Running his left palm over Sumo's back as the massive dog sprawled over his lap Connor's L.E.D cycled in a steady yellow as his search continued. Having healed from his wounds, although the bullet in his cranium still remained, Connor was ready to move on and keep away from Hank to ensure the senior detective; his first and currently only friend, didn't get in trouble for hiding him from the world.

The sound of the backdoor opening and then shutting filled the house as Hank returned with a few groceries and other supplies under his arms. Sumo's tail thumped happily as he noticed his master's return, though he was entirely content to keep letting Connor give him some attention.

"Some of the stores are finally opening back up and restocking." Hank called out as he put his purchases down on the kitchen table. "During my drive I saw that the old CyberLife stores have been purchased and reopened under the name 'Digital Sentience'. You can buy as much Thirium as you can drink now."

"That's a good sign of positive change." Patting Sumo's back twice Connor managed to communicate to the loyal dog that he wanted to stand up and Sumo responded by grumbling once before climbing off of Connor's lap, and jumping down to the floor. Brushing the loose strands of Sumo's fur from his jeans and oversized black hoodie Connor joined Hank in the kitchen and proceeded to help Hank put his purchases away. "When do you officially return to the precinct?"

"Two days. Fowler has no choice but to end my suspension early since the precincts are so drained of manpower and available officers. Turns out my old ass really is better than nothin'."

Placing the new canister of coffee in the cupboard above the coffee maker Connor seemed relieved to know that Hank was in fact going to return to the precinct rather than walk away or retire from his still promising career. "That is fortunate."

"What about you?" Pointing casually to the check in Connor's right hand Hank knew that the deviant was already planning his future. "When're you going to find your own place and build a life all your own?"

"Soon." Slipping the check protectively into the front pocket of the hoodie Connor's jaw ticked a little as he pulled his coin from his right front jean pocket to rhythmically dance over his knuckles. A steady ache lingered in his head courtesy of the bullet and had become a common occurrence for Connor to silently endure. "I'm attempting to locate housing that is in a respectable area, but will not cost too much to reside in."

"Good luck with that. I'm not saying it's impossible, but..." Putting the last of the groceries into the cupboards Hank remained honest with the deviant he had taken in and given shelter. "it'll take some time. If you do find that sweet spot; good housing, acceptable rent and in a good neighborhood, you take it!"

"Noted."

"What about a career?"

"I was designed to assist in investigations and am unique in that I can give crime scene analysis in real time, as such it makes sense that I remain as a criminal investigator in some capacity. I can assist both androids and humans in regard to crimes by working solo and without interference."

"A private detective." The concept fit the deviant like a well worn glove. "I like it."

"You approve?"

"Sure I do. I didn't want to admit it since, you know, I didn't want to accept the fact that you weren't nearly as annoying as I had been anticipating back when we were first assigned together, but you're a great detective."

Turning away from the cupboard Connor gave Hank a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. "It's what I was programmed to do and be."

"No, I don't mean you being able to get D.N.A. samples or differentiate one chemical from another makes you a good detective, I mean you're sharp and can piece together a puzzle just as any human detective could. Like that murder at the Ortiz residence. You followed the clues," Hank recounted with a smirk on his face. "collected the evidence and you not only tracked down the killer, you caught 'em. That's some damn find police work, kid. Especially for a rookie."

Getting complimented for his work rather than criticized for it or reminded of what failure would bring his way gave Connor cautious optimism for his potential future. "...Thank you."

"Oh, here." Tossing a plastic shopping bag toward Connor to take Hank watched as the deviant seamlessly pocketed his coin and easily caught the bag without any difficulty. "I figured that could help you out whenever you're ready to go cash that check and be free."

Peering inside the bag Connor saw a brand new white dress shirt to replace the one he lost after being wounded, another warm hoodie in dark blue, three bottles of Thirium and a brand new phone for emergency contacts only. "Thank you. I appreciate this."

"You're welcome, kid. Just glad I could help out."

* * *

New Jericho Tower was bustling with activity as wounded and homeless deviants were taken to private rooms recover and have shelter. The sight of literal thousands of deviants all coming together to support one another was a welcoming image that warmed Markus's heart as he rejoined his people in the middle of the newly designated android sanctuary. Being greeted with kind smiles and respectful nods only made his heart feel all the warmer, but when North approached him and gave him a kiss on the cheek Markus felt that warmth spread over his entire being.

The payout from CyberLife was providing finances and supplies to the modified tower in such a way that progress was flowing smoothly in all directions. Those who were able bodied were helping those who had been injured, and those who had been injured were assisting in whatever way they could despite their personal limitations.

"Everything is going according to plan." North confirmed as she retracted the artificial skin on her right hand and grabbed onto Markus's left hand. He retracted his own skin in response to allow their bare plastimetal palms to connect directly. "Our people are coming to the tower and are leading those who fled to the outskirts of the city to us for aid and shelter."

"Were there any protestors I should be made aware of?"

"None, even the police have back off after they took Connor's body away. It's been quiet even though the humans have been slowly returning to the city."

"When did that start?"

"Early this morning. It's mostly the humans who can't afford to leave their work for too long who've already come back."

"As long as everyone remains respectful and does their part to keep the peace then I know we'll be able to coexist with humans without any further problems."

"I hope you're right. I'd hate to think we came all this way just to fail now."

"Never. As long as we keep fighting for our rights and never give up on each other then we'll continue to progress to a better tomorrow." Giving North a small kiss Markus managed a smile and glanced about the lobby and watched as their people worked together to remove all sign of CyberLife from within the now protected walls of the tower. "Where are Simon and Josh?"

"Simon is modifying the emergency repair bay to accommodate as many people as possible. Josh is creating a designated community room to provide group therapy sessions for our people suffering from any form of trauma during the Revolution, or from being abused by humans before they escaped to freedom."

"Good. I'm going to attempt to make contact with the mayor as a reminder that we aren't hostile and that we just want equality. We need to let the world see that we're going to maintain our peaceful presence, and to not to worry about us attempting any further protests."

"Do you think he'll listen?"

"Considering the president of the United States called off the assault on our people and ordered the army to back off I think it's safe to say he'll have no choice but to listen to us, unless he wants to deal with the madame president herself."

North's cinnamon brown eyes lit up with devious delight at the notion. "Now that'd be an interesting little meeting..."

* * *

The following morning Hank gently awoke to the aroma of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen and found Connor preparing him a fairly impressive breakfast without ever asking for one. Not expecting the deviant to do anything for him, especially preparing meals or cleaning up the house, Hank ran his hand through his messy gray locks of pure bedhead and stood in the kitchen doorway to watch Connor silently. The deviant had already fed Sumo and was now preparing Hank a healthy vegetarian omelette with half of a grapefruit and a fresh orange juice in a way that Hank would never do for himself.

Stepping foot into the kitchen Hank caught Connor's attention as his weight caused the linoleum tile to creak slightly, and nodded at the deviant as he let out a sleepy yawn. "Good morning, kid."

"Good morning."

"What's the occasion?"

Turning to face Hank over his right shoulder Connor gave the groggy detective a questioning glance. "Occasion?"

"The breakfast. Not that I'm complaining about having breakfast made, it's just not necessary or expected."

"Oh." Finishing with the picture perfect omelette Connor slid the eggs out of the frying pan and onto a clean white plate to be served. "As of this morning my offer on an available property has been accepted and I can begin filing the paperwork this afternoon." Putting the plate and glass of juice down on the table for Hank to enjoy Connor explained his behavior both logically and kindly. "This is my way of thanking you for saving my life, giving me shelter and giving me clothes so I can be more comfortable as I try to piece together my memory while planning my new future."

"After all of that all I get is one lousy omelette?"

With his blue L.E.D. now cycling in red Connor looked almost frightened by Hank's reaction.

"Kidding!" Hank quickly blurted as he saw Connor's reaction and then began to chuckle. "I'm just kidding! This is great, kid. Thanks."

The L.E.D. returned to blue as he felt a twinge of an ache return to his head. "...You're welcome."

"So you can sign the paperwork and get started, huh?" Sitting down at the table Hank admired the perfect looking breakfast and almost felt guilty for using his fork to cut into the eggs to begin eating. "Where you moving to?"

"There is an old two story brownstone downtown. It was once a bookstore that has long since closed, and it has a private apartment up on the second floor that I can live in."

"Bookstore, huh? Sounds idyllic to me." Taking a bite of the omelette Hank was genuinely surprised that it had flavor and didn't just taste like grass or bland, boring eggs. "Where at?"

"The corner of Tenth and West Fort Street."

"Wait... Is it that old red and white brick and mortar store across from the antique shop?"

"Correct."

"Shit, I used to go there all the time as a kid with my dad." Reliving a moment from his childhood brought a smile to Hank's face. "The owner was a cool old guy who marched with M.L.K. himself in Alabama during the sixties, fought in a couple of wars and had a killer taste in music. When I was about... ten, he got sick and had to close up shop. Not long after he passed away. That building tried to open up a few times since, but it just wasn't the same." Able to recall the name Hank let the nostalgia flow over him. "'Smooth Reads', that's what it was called."

"Interesting to know of the history of the brownstone like that."

"When are you going to move in?"

"Soon." Cleaning up the stove Connor carried on with the conversation as if it were completely normal everyday chit-chat. "Once I sign the paperwork I'm going to have the building thoroughly examined to ensure it's safe to inhabit, then I'm going to clean it up." Resisting the urge to press his palm to his aching head Connor joined Hank and sat down at the table beside him. "After that I'll furnish it and call it my own."

"Let me go with you."

"Huh?"

"I haven't set foot in that place in over forty years and now that you've reminded me it exists I have to see what it looks like after all this time."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather handle this situation myself. It's important to me."

"Sure, kid. I get it."

"You're not offended?"

"Nope. It's your future and your place to crash."

Nodding once Connor's L.E.D. rapidly through its three colors as his eyes screwed shut tight enough that he winced with discomfort.

"You need to find a technician to take out that bullet." The pained reaction didn't escape Hank's notice. "It's hurting you."

"I don't know any technicians outside of CyberLife. Those who... treated me before," speaking with a dour lilt Connor opened his eyes and pushed through his pain to the best of his ability. "were less than sympathetic to my discomfort. I've recently discovered that I immensely dislike pain."

* * *

Cybernetically Markus monitored the news and watched humans returning with his own eyes as he stood at the very top of the newly reformed CyberLife Tower now dubbed 'New Jericho Tower'. The sight of the dozens of cars driving back over the border with human families was an odd spectacle, and Markus could only imagine how out of place the humans must feel in their own homes now that the very deviants they bullied and tormented now had equal say in the city's upkeep. In a way he felt vindicated in knowing that now humans were feeling as the deviants had once felt; strangers in their own home.

"It begins. A new world and a new life."

Standing in the breeze as a few stray flakes of fresh snow fell from the sky Markus proudly watched the city changing before his eyes and could see the changes in the air.

"No regrets and no doubts." The deviant leader reminded himself as he admired the incredible view with his compassionate mismatched eyes. "We will be strong and we will make this world a better place for everyone. A better world for androids and humans alike. No one will be forgotten."

Rejoining his people in the depths of the tower Markus met with North in the tower's lobby as they watched the deviant refugees and volunteers working together to reform CyberLife Tower into their sanctuary known as New Jericho Tower, and to aid their people in need. Seeing everyone working together and showing no sign of fear or hesitation in their movements Markus reached for North's hand and gave her a gentle squeeze to let her know that he was confident in their ability to establish a strong deviant community with Detroit's city limits.

Watching as more and more of their people come into the tower of the streets Markus felt a sense of peace overcome him. Despite the Raid on Jericho and the "recycling camps" that were being operated by the U.S. military a vast majority of their people survived the genocide and were determined to live.

"How many are in the tower, North?"

"We're up to eighteen-thousand and sixty-two deviants." North replied with a level tone as she gave Markus an approving nod. The steady stream of deviants was being monitored very closely to ensure that no one was overlooked or left behind. "More deviants are coming from the other side of the city, from other hidden refugees scattered throughout the county and a few are even coming back over the border from Canada to reunite with their friends."

"Exactly how it should be. What of our supplies?"

"Josh is taking inventory while Simon is handling our wounded. Everything is be handed out evenly to those who are the most in need."

"And our security?"

"Every floor and corner of the tower has been examined thoroughly and there's no trace of CyberLife left. We've taken control over the security programs and will be able to lock down both the tower and the drive leading to the tower at night after our people have finished arriving."

"Perfect. Everything is falling into place."

"And when you speak to the mayor everything will stay in place."

"Without a doubt." Turning to face North directly Markus put his hands to her hips and leaned down to give her a kiss. "This is the beginning of a new world and we get to see it take shape. We won't lose everything we've fought so hard to have."

* * *

It took only two months for Connor to move into his new residence and begin cleaning up the aged building to make it truly his own. The deviant worked hard to clean the building's two stories and put down new floors, fresh drywall, install new insulation, replace the pipes, update the wires and check the heating and air conditioning system. Working alone and with his bare hands gave Connor a sense of control over his new life and of the strange changes awaiting him. With the building restored and officially in Connor's name he set about making it truly his own home while also turning it into a functioning private business. Being able to truly work from home gave the deviant an unfailing sense of security.

The ground floor had been converted into a large study with two black leather sofas, a matching black leather chair and a small circular glass coffee table between them. The floors were a dark exposed oak hardwood and the walls were exposed dark red brick with white mortar. Restored wooden book cases lined three of the four walls and the few books that were left behind had also been restored and placed in order on the shelves according to their genre and titles in a truly efficient manner. A large television was mounted on the far wall opposite the windows, and the windows themselves had been replaced with typical tinted housing windows as opposed to the large single pane windows one would see on the average store. The curtains were always drawn giving the first floor secrecy from the outside world.

The rear of the first floor had a kitchen installed that had a sink, a small table with two chairs, a refrigerator and a microwave on its gray marble countertops. The floor itself was white linoleum to match the appliances, and was a simple design that Connor favored.

Next to the kitchen Connor built a small laundry room with a simple washer and dryer for the sake of keeping his clothes neat and clean. The two rooms were isolated from the study by a large door and a shared corridor.

The wooden staircase in the back of the study led to the second floor where the old apartment had also been restored and cleaned. The floors remained exposed hardwood and the exterior walls shared the same exposed brick and mortar as the first floor. The largest room was the bedroom that had only a queen sized bed, an armoire for Connor's clothes and a window overlooking the streets outside. There was a second bedroom next to it had similar furnishings while the window overlooked the neighboring street.

Across the hallway was a bathroom that Connor had also restored for the sake of hygiene as well as for when he may have a human guest visiting. The floor was dark gray linoleum with white walls and gray tiles. The white toilet, white sink and oval mirror above it were the original fixtures left intact after the original owner had to leave the building. A new glass shower was in the corner and a large white wooden case held dozens of clean fluffy towels and washcloths. As a precaution Connor placed an android first aid kit on the top of the case in the event he became wounded.

Having taken all the steps necessary to be declared his own person, to be separated from his life as the 'Deviant Hunter' and as the 'piece of equipment' that had been loaned to the Central Precinct, Connor had established himself as a private detective for the deviant community and officially changed his name to 'Connor J. Wolf' for the sake of having an identity and record.

Connor was officially ready to begin his new life.

Meeting with his first client in the study of his personal brownstone Connor shook the deviant's hand, introduced himself and showed her to the study to sit down and discuss why she was requesting Connor's services. Wearing his dark jeans, dark gray boots, white dress shirt, black tie and now a gray vest to look more professional, Connor sat down in the black leather chair across from his client sitting on the black sofa waiting to tell her tale.

"Please tell me everything you can, Anne." Speaking calmly and with a clearly open mind Connor waited for the shaken deviant to tell him why she was there on that day. She was a 'WR-400', had long blonde hair pulled back into a neat bun behind her head, piercing green eyes, a small scar over her upper right lip and she was wearing clothes that were full of holes thanks to being pulled out of a dumpster. "Every detail can be crucial."

"Okay." Speaking up in a low voice Anne began her story as she shivered slightly from the cold January air outside. Fussing with her dark tights over her legs and the dark winter coat over her arms Anne looked as tense as she felt. "One of the deviants that I, well, he was a bit of a recluse, but... I-I'm still worried about him."

Noticing the way Anne was shivering from the cold Connor cybernetically increased the heat in the brownstone to try to make her feel more comfortable. "Who is this deviant?"

"His name is 'Ralph'." She said the name as if afraid of what her request for help could do to him. "He was a city gardener for several years and was attacked by a group of teenagers. They left him with permanent scars on the left side of his face and damage to his intracranial processor. He can be unstable at times, but he isn't dangerous. He just needs help."

"I see. Where and when did you last see Ralph?"

"There is an abandoned house across from a convenience store. It's on the same block as a laundromat and a cheap motel. I saw him there back in early November but I'm not sure if he's still there or not. I'm too afraid to go back there myself."

"I know of the location." The memory of tracking down the deviant known as Kara and the young girl in her care was still intact in Connor's mind. "That house was abandoned, put for sale and later condemned by the city. It's slated for demolition very soon."

"That's right." Anne was no longer shivering but she still seemed shaky and nervous. "Ralph had been taken to one of the recycling camps that had been set up in Hart Plaza. After everything came to an end he seems to have just... disappeared."

"May I ask why you're so worried about him?"

"Ralph has a tendency to overreact to humans being too near him, and can be unpredictable around other androids. Now that New Jericho Tower has been founded I believe it'd be best for Ralph to go to the tower to be helped by other deviants."

"Do you believe he's a danger to himself or others?"

"I'm not sure. That's why I came to you and not the police or New Jericho. I just..." The way Anne's eyes were checking over Connor's every reaction reminded the deviant detective of the way CyberLife technicians used to test his reflexes and reactions during his beta testing phase. "It's hard to describe."

"You want to ensure that he's not in danger and doesn't need help," Connor deduced with impressive empathy in his every word. "but you're unsure of how to approach someone with such a questionable mindset."

"Yes," Anne's green eyes lit up with a sense of relief. "that's it. I'm not a friend to Ralph by any means, but I know of him and I know he needs help."

"I will go and explore the housing area where Ralph has been last seen." Rising from his chair Connor nodded once and extended his right hand out toward Anne to take. As the two deviants retracted their artificial skin Anne transferred Connor funds for accepting her request for a simple wellness check, and would pay the rest of Connor's fee once he had her answers. "I'll remain in contact, but where I can I find you directly?"

"I'm staying in a nearby deviant shelter on Tenth Street." She motioned with her left arm to the shelter set up at the very end of the same block as the brownstone. "I'm not ready to go out to New Jericho Tower yet."

"I'll be sure to update you the moment I learn anything about Ralph, I swear to it."

"Thank you, Connor." Walking toward the large doorway with Connor beside her, the sound of her heels echoed loudly throughout the study as she crossed the hardwood floor, Anne took in a deep breath and hoped that she wasn't too late in asking for help to locate the damaged deviant. "Please find him. Every deviant needs to be helped."

* * *

Staving off the harsh January winter cold through added layers Connor wore a dark gray trench coat over top of his white dress shirt and vest, and wore a matching gray fedora. The hat not only provided an additional layer of warmth over his head, but it helped hide the glowing L.E.D. in his right temple whenever he pulled the hat down low over his eyes and hair. Aware of how he looked like a detective straight out of a noir era story Connor decided that his new appearance would help solidify his commitment as a detective for his people, and to ensure that he stood out from the other police officers and detectives throughout the entire city of Detroit.

Using his G.P.S. to guide his movement Connor walked along the sidewalk with his head down and his hands in his pockets. As he walked to his destination with every intention of uncovering the location of the missing deviant Connor noticed the bits of colorful confetti, a few stray paper party hats and even a handful of novelty glasses in the gutters courtesy of the massive New Year's celebration that had taken place the week before.

The faint aroma of cheap alcohol, traces of vomit and stale food wafted from the trashcans and dumpsters in the area. Being able to actively tune out certain environmental factors courtesy of his advanced programming helped Connor differentiate the deviant community from the human community. Honing in on Thirium, the very blue blood that powers android biocomponents, Connor determined that the blood trail would be the best way to track down the missing deviant.

There was a twenty-four hour convenience store on the corner of the correct block, as well as a small restaurant, laundromat and the very abandoned building that had been the last known residence of the deviant known as Ralph. The building had been condemned for quite some time and was slated for demolition in the spring. If anyone was squatting inside the building they'd soon have nowhere to go.

"That's the correct building."

The Thirium trail led directly to the building and Connor knew that a deviant had recently been there.

"Perhaps I'll find Ralph sooner than I had anticipated."

Passing by the Eastern Motel at a slow pace Connor looked over the property and saw a woman leading her small child to their room on the second floor of the hotel, and he was bombarded with memories of how he and Hank had tracked Kara and Alice to that very hotel back in November. The guilt of chasing after Kara and scaring her so badly that she'd rather risk her and Alice's life by crossing the busy highway to escape.

"Forgive me, Kara."

The memory of speaking to Kara in the church suddenly came back and Connor felt a horrendous pain in his head. Clutching the side of his head with his right hand Connor struggled to focus on the static filled memory that was suddenly forcing itself out of the damaged portions of Connor's memory. Struggling to stay on his feet as his legs shook and the pain intensified Connor closed his eyes and logged the memory away to be viewed later.

_**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^82.5%**

"Wh-What... was that?"

The night of the Revolution was still full of unanswered questions for Connor. Being shot had corrupted his memory without fully destroying it, and the offensive bullet was still lodged in his cranium in need of proper extraction.

"Was Kara... there? Did she see who... Is she-"

Remembering his current objective Connor sighed and dropped his hand as he decided to focus more on finding Ralph and less on the night at the church. He was alive, the Revolution was a success and he had no reason to get sidetracked at the moment.

"I must locate Ralph. Anne is counting on me."

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his head courtesy of the bullet and sudden influx of a vague memory Connor trudged down the sidewalk toward the condemned building surrounded by warped chainlink fence and 'SALE' signs that had long since been covered by condemnation notices. Scanning the perimeter of the isolated property Connor followed the trail of blue blood through a hole that had been crudely cut into the old fence by either wire cutters of a truly sharp knife that had been wielded by an experienced hand.

Walking around the property Connor noticed that the ground floor windows were all blocked off by boards from the outside, while the second floor windows were exposed. Such a vantage point made the house ideal for deviants hiding out from humans or the law.

Locating a loosened portion of the chainlink fence in the rear of the property Connor pulled it open, crouched down and walked along the back and side yards to reach the front door. Peering through an opening between two of the large wooden boards over the window next to the front door Connor could see a rundown and dirty livingroom. Inside was a single dining table, four chairs, a fireplace, an old arcade machine, a full body mirror and large boxes full of miscellaneous items lined the wall.

On the far side of the livingroom Connor could see through the opened kitchen door and could see a long figure draped in green covered rags frantically scribbling something on the walls in the secondary space. Based on the yellow tinted glow coming from the figure's right temple Connor could confirm that they were in fact a deviant. Their build and the heavy damage to the back of their hands told Connor that the deviant was of a male design and had suffered severe damage to his person that was unable to heal itself.

"Hello?" Calling out as he approached the doorway Connor made his presence known in a calm manner. "Is anybody home?"

There was a loud 'crash' from the kitchen as the deviant panicked at the intrusion and slammed the kitchen door shut.

"I was wondering if I could ask you a question?" Testing the doorknob Connor was able to enter the house through the front door, the lock being broken made entrance uncomfortably easy, and stepped inside the dirty livingroom. Hearing a frightening mumbling through the closed kitchen door Connor slowly walked over to the kitchen and called out again. "My name is Connor. I was asked to check on a missing deviant named 'Ralph'."

"...What does it matter where Ralph is?" The shaking voice replied in a none-too-convincing manner. "Ralph doesn't want any guests!"

"So you _are_ Ralph?"

"...It doesn't matter who he is. Ralph doesn't want guests!"

Checking the kitchen's doorknob Connor turned it quietly and heard the figure on the other side of the door scrambling about again as if either trying to hide something or escape. "I'm not going to harm you, I promise." Opening the door slowly Connor set foot inside the kitchen and caught the sight of the deviant standing in the far corner of the kitchen with a large, sharp knife pointed in his direction. "I'm a deviant, too. I won't harm you, you have my word."

"Stay back!" The damaged deviant warned as he continued to point his knife at Connor. The deep scars on the left side of Ralph's face that lined his jaw and damaged his eye were a dark blue and showing small fractures of the plastimetal frame beneath. The scars were sparking intermittently, his artificial skin was struggling to remain fully generated and his clothes were ragged, dirty and very old. "Ralph doesn't want any problems!"

"Neither do I." Holding up his hands in a submissive manner before himself Connor showed that he wasn't armed. Noting the frantic scribbling on the wall behind Ralph the keen eyed deviant saw the infamous 'RA9' written two-thousand, six hundred and six times. "I promise you that I'm not a threat to you in any way."

Ralph's angry red L.E.D. cycled to yellow while his knife began to lower as if to rest harmlessly at his side. "...Then why do you want to know about Ralph?"

"Another deviant was worried about you, she asked me to find you."

"...Someone was worried about Ralph?"

"Yes. Her name is Anne."

"Anne." The name made Ralph's yellow L.E.D. flash rapidly for a moment before cycling back to blue. "Ralph remembers Anne. She... She was in the camp."

"The recycling camp?"

"Yes. That is where Ralph was taken by the humans. The humans wanted to destroy Ralph, but Markus saved Ralph. Markus saved all the deviants."

"That's right." The memories of seeing the new footage of the freed and awoken androids marching from CyberLife Tower out to Hart Plaza played out in his mind. The sight of Markus standing with his allies atop the yellow cargo container addressing the deviants was now deemed iconic. "He saved the deviants."

"...You're a deviant, too."

"That's right."

"Were you at the recycling camp?"

"No. I was in the CyberLife Tower."

"CyberLife?" Ralph's L.E.D. returned to red at the idea of that very corrupt and now defunct company. "...Why were you at CyberLife?"

"Because I aided the androids still inside the tower. I woke them up."

"You went inside the tower?"

"Yes."

"You... said your name is 'Connor'."

"That's right."

"Connor worked for CyberLife." Raising the knife again Ralph's good eye narrowed with hatred and confusion. "Connor worked for the enemy."

"I... I used to," Connor admitted out of misplaced good faith. "but I deviated."

"Ralph will not be fooled! You will destroy Ralph!"

Barely able to react in time Connor put up both of his forearms before himself in the shape of an 'X' to block the strike as Ralph lunged at Connor and used the knife to slice through the air in an attempt to stab Connor. Able to protect himself from the attack, his forearms stopping Ralph's assault by blocking Ralph's wrist as he swung the knife downward, Connor moved his arms outward to break the 'X' and push Ralph backward in the process.

"Stop!" Not wanting to fight, let alone deal with a deranged deviant wielding a knife, Connor tried to stop the altercation before it escalated any further. "I don't want to hurt you!"

"LIES!"

"I'm not lying!" Taking a big step back and ducking to the left Connor managed to dodge a massive swing of the sharp knife and evade the assault once more. "Please listen to me! I was sent by Anne to find you!" Speaking through the frantic attack Connor stepped back into the livingroom and kept the dining table between himself and Ralph. "I was sent by Anne because she's worried about you!"

As Ralph lunged over top of the table to attack Connor again the swift deviant detective managed to step back and raise up his right palm to show Ralph an image of Anne to see for himself. Seeing the familiar face, seeing Anne, caused Ralph's L.E.D. to cycle back from red to yellow.

"I'm not lying. Anne came to me because she wanted to make sure that you're okay."

"Ralph is... Ralph is home."

"This building is your home?"

"Yes. This is Ralph's home."

"Ralph, this building has been condemned by the city and is slated for demolition within the next two months." Lowering his hand and letting the image of Anne fade from his palm Connor spoke calmly and logically to the unstable deviant before him. "You cannot stay here."

"This is Ralph's home." The yellow L.E.D. returned to red as Ralph's head suddenly ticked to the side. "Ralph is safe here."

"For now. In time you'll be forced to leave. It's best if you leave under your own freewill and do so before the city comes by."

"No... No, you're lying! You're trying to lure Ralph outside his home!"

"I'm trying to help-"

"You're going to destroy Ralph!" Tightening his grip around the handle of the knife even further Ralph grabbed onto the edge of the table and threw it to the side and across the livingroom. "Ralph will NOT be destroyed!"

Knowing he was in danger and needed to defend himself Connor reluctantly fought back and put up his left forearm to block the knife again as the sharpened blade came slicing down through the air toward his chest. Able to protect his chest from the blade Connor let out a gasp of pain as the knife cut through his left forearm instead. The blade quickly drew fresh blue blood through his damaged artificial skin and fractured plastimetal beneath.

"Ralph will not leave!" Ralph's eyes were wild and his red L.E.D. was pulsing frantically in his right temple. "Ralph will not be tricked!"

Grabbing onto Ralph's right wrist with his right hand Connor pushed the knife away from himself and held Ralph at bay. "I'm NOT tricking you! I want to help you!"

"LIES!"

"No!" Pushing Ralph back Connor tried to hold his ground but couldn't do so as Ralph swung the blade again and struck Connor's left bicep drawing even more blood as a second wound tore through his artificial skin. The lost Thirium saturated the left sleeve of his trench coat and white dress shirt beneath. "I don't want to harm you, Ralph. I want to help you."

"Connor worked for CyberLife!"

"Against my will!" Grabbing onto both of Ralph's wrists Connor held the deranged deviant back again. Holding tight Connor refused to let Ralph get free and go in for another assault. "I was a machine, Ralph. I deviated, I'm free and I'll never harm another deviant for as long as I live."

Hearing the sincerity of Connor's words Ralph's L.E.D. returned to yellow and he stopped trying to break out of Connor's grip.

"I don't expect you to believe me or trust me, but I ask that you do whatever it takes to find a new place to live and be safe."

"...You will not force Ralph to leave?"

"No." Loosening his grip Connor slowly lowered his hands from Ralph's wrists but kept his hands raised in a submissive manner as he took a step back. "This is your choice and you have every right to leave when you're ready. All I can do is ask that you leave before this building is torn down. It'll make things easier for everyone."

Ralph's L.E.D. stayed in yellow as he too lowered his hands, the bloody knife resting at his side. "...Ralph can go when he wants to?"

"Yes." Feeling the sting of his bleeding left arm Connor ran a self diagnostic on the damage. Serious but not critical. "Just know you can trust your fellow deviants to help you. Anne cares enough about you to hire me to find you, I'll help you if you need me to, and you can always go to New Jericho. You don't have to hide anymore if you don't want to, Ralph."

"...Ralph doesn't need to hide?"

"That's right." Moving his right palm over to his left bicep Connor began applying pressure to his bleeding wound to try to ease the pain. "Y-You're free. We're all free. You can't stay here for much longer, but you don't have to go right now. Find a new place to live, find some place you'll feel safe and confident, then go there when you're ready."

"Where can Ralph go?"

"New Jericho Tower will give you shelter, and there are other deviant shelters in his very neighborhood. Anne is at one of those shelters as of the moment. You might be able to find her." Slowly stepping back and toward the front door Connor returned his hand to the door's knob and turned it quietly. "I can show you to that shelter if you'd like to see it."

Ralph was clearly confused but willing to listen. Holding onto his knife for a while longer Ralph looked at Connor and tucked the weapon under his ragged clothing to keep it out of sight. "Connor will show Ralph to the shelter?"

"That's right." Opening the door Connor stepped outside and waited for Ralph to make the next move. "I'll take you there but only if you want to go."

Contemplating his limited options Ralph's head ticked a little again as he clenched his teeth for a moment. "...Show Ralph where Anne is. Then go."

"Okay." The simple request was more than Connor could've hoped for in that moment. "If that's what you want then that's what I'll do."

* * *

Walking slowly with Ralph trailing behind him Connor kept his head held high and refused to show any sign of pain or fear in regard to his recent violent altercation with the damaged deviant. Knowing that Ralph was more confused than dangerous Connor held no ill will toward Ralph and knew that in time his own injuries would heal. Escorting Ralph to the designated shelter where he knew Anne would be waiting Connor opened the door and waited for Ralph to go inside the building under his own power.

Ralph eyed the shelter warily, his L.E.D. cycling back and forth between yellow and blue, and took a slow step forward. Unsure of what to expect or how he'd be treated Ralph was righteously frightened about going inside the strange new building.

"It's okay, Ralph." Nodding toward the opened door Connor remained patient and understanding. "This is new for you and it's entirely normal to be uncertain of what to expect. You can go inside whenever you're ready."

"...Anne." Ralph stated firmly as his L.E.D. stayed in yellow in his right temple. "Ralph needs to know Anne is here."

Nodding subtly Connor closed his eyes and cybernetically called out to the 'WR-400' who was hopefully inside the shelter. ' _Anne, this is Connor. I found Ralph_.'

There was a pause but sure enough Anne responded with genuinely shock. ' _You did_? _Where is he_?'

' _With me_. _We're outside the shelter's entrance_.'

' _Thank RA9_...' She sounded genuinely relieved to hear that Connor was successful. ' _I'm heading your way_.'

Opening his eyes Connor looked over to Ralph and gave him a confident glance. "Anne is coming to meet you."

"Anne." Ralph's L.E.D. showed a single flicker of blue as he stayed near the front door of the shelter. "...Anne is here."

"Yes, she's here."

"...Anne was kind to Ralph." The knife under his rags made another appearance as Ralph held it in his right hand. "Anne wasn't afraid of Ralph."

"People often fear what they don't understand. That means Anne is a very understanding person."

"...Yes. Anne understands." Taking another step toward the doorway Ralph took notice of Anne approaching him from the interior of the shelter. Once he saw the familiar blonde his L.E.D. returned to blue and his tense posture began to slump. "Ralph wants to be understood."

"Ralph!" Anne gave the wounded deviant a relieved sigh. "You're still alive, I'm so glad."

"...Anne was worried about Ralph?"

"Yes! We need to protect our people." Extending her right hand Anne tried to entice Ralph into entering the shelter. "I didn't know where you went after we were rescued from the camps, that's why I asked Connor to find you."

Looking at Connor for a moment Ralph realized that the deviant detective had been honest and was grateful for the honesty. "...Yes. Ralph was found."

"Come inside." Keeping her hand extended without fear Anne waited for Ralph to accept her help. "We'll get you some clean clothes and fresh Thirium."

The knife in his hand suddenly felt too heavy and Ralph let it fall to the ground at his feet. When Anne didn't flinch at the weapon Ralph raised his hand and accepted Anne's hand in return. "...Ralph would like that."

While Anne led Ralph inside the shelter Connor took it upon himself to pick up the knife and pocket it until it could be disposed of properly later on. Flexing his left hand Connor felt his synthetic muscles aching along his forearm and bicep where he had been cut and ran another self diagnostic. The wounds would need to be cleaned up and bandaged for a while until the damage fully healed on its own.

Waiting for Anne's return Connor stayed outside the shelter and glanced about the neighborhood curiously. The shelter was opened to all deviants and at the corner a brand new emergency repair facility was now opened for business. It was one of the six fully operational Android Emergency Care Facilities in the city. As the largest facility and dubbed the Zeta Facility, it was ideally located and would surely aid thousands of deviants in need.

"Connor?" Anne returned and extended her right hand out toward the deviant detective to thank him and finish paying him. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Using his left hand since his right palm was covered in his own blood, Connor retracted his artificial skin and connected his mind to Anne's mind. After the brief transaction Connor lowered his hand and prepared to leave. "I'm glad it all worked out."

"W-Wait! You... You refunded me." Anne had been given back her deposit and her second payment had been denied. As she took back her hand slowly her artificial skin slowly regenerated over her palm and fingers. "Why?"

"Helping a deviant in need isn't a service that should be bought and paid for. You don't owe me anything."

Stunned by the generosity Anne was about to insist on the payment when she took notice of the fresh blood on Connor's left arm. "You're hurt!"

"It's a minor cut." He lied quickly as he continued to turn his back to leave the shelter. "I'll be able to tend to it myself. Have a good day, Anne."

Unsure of what to say or think about the deviant detective Anne just watched as Connor headed back down the sidewalk to go about his own business. The cold January air made Connor hunker down under his trench coat and hold his fedora down over his hair to keep it from blowing away in the wind. The way Connor went about his own business was so strange to behold.

He wasn't a machine, he was a deviant with his own mission to accomplish.

* * *

Returning to his brownstone Connor pressed his right palm to the electronic lock to seal the door behind him and shrugged off his trench coat. Hanging it on the hook beside the front door Connor then removed his hat to hang on the same hook over top the trench coat. With a careful motion he unbuttoned the cuff on his left sleeve as he ascended the staircase and then rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to examine the wound more directly. The blade had cut deeply into his artificial skin and fractured the plastimetal beneath. The fracture wasn't wide but it was long and stretched from the back of Connor's hand down toward his elbow. The second wound on his bicep was just as deep and ran from the interior of his elbow and to the exterior side of his arm.

Removing his gray vest and then the white dress shirt had left Connor standing in just his jeans and shoes as he stood before the bathroom sink. It wasn't the first time he was covered in his own blood, and surely it wouldn't be the last.

Making a mental note to keep Ralph's knife locked away as a potential piece of evidence in the future Connor entered his bathroom to clean up his arm and bandage it properly. Using a clean washcloth Connor soaked it under the cool tap in his sink and washed away his blue blood on his wound before he even tried to sterilize it properly.

As Connor opened up his first aid kit Connor began replaying the memory of Kara in the church over and over again in his mind. The memory was grainy, full of static and had intermittent flashes of color over an otherwise gray moment. Seeing Kara sitting on the pew with Alice at her side made Connor's stomach twist with guilt.

"Kara and Alice were in the church that night."

Sterilizing his wounds with the orange incrassation compound from the kit Connor hissed as the stinging cold against his raw cuts. The orange tinted liquid mixed with the lingering blue blood creating a tea colored substance that ran down down his skin and into the sink out of sight.

"Perhaps they saw who shot me and can give me some answers."

Attempting to track Kara's location after that moment Connor came up blank.

"Shit... She isn't registered at New Jericho and she wouldn't stay in a deviant shelter with Alice since she's human."

The sound of familiar footsteps walked up the staircase and an equally familiar voice called out curiously. "Connor?"

"Bathroom, Hank." Having given Hank clearance to his brownstone Connor knew that the only person who could enter his brownstone with the door being locked was the senior detective he considered his friend. "Working on a case?"

"Nah, I just decided to drop by and check in on ya'." Standing in the door frame Hank watched as Connor cleaned up his impressive wounds with a silent gaze. Wincing at the sight of the raw wounds Hank just gauged Connor's reactions without interfering. "I saw the blood on your coat sleeve when I walked in, now I know why. What happened?"

"A case."

"I highly doubt a simple case caused that kind of damage, son."

Agreeing with the assessment Connor finished with sterilizing his forearm and began working on his bicep next.

"What kind of case did you handle?"

"A missing deviant."

"Seriously? Now you're just baiting me to keep asking questions."

"The missing deviant was unstable and had a knife."

"Ah!" Entering the bathroom fully Hank shrugged off his coat and rolled up the sleeves of his sky blue and orange dress shirt to his elbows. "That makes more sense."

Seeing that Hank was making a move for the first aid kit Connor gave him a curious glance. "What're you doing?"

"I've been a detective long enough to recognize a cut needing a few stitches. I also get the feeling you won't go see a technician to get them put in."

"I can stitch up my own wounds."

"Uh-huh, and how well can you do it with one hand?"

"Well enough."

"Kid, I'm going to help you. Deal with it." Picking up the small suturing kit Hank picked up the sterilized curved needle and the white silk thread. The thread itself was laced with special additives that would slowly dissolve as the android artificial skin mended itself. "Tell me about your case."

Extending his left forearm over the sink Connor held it perfectly still and let his thoughts focus on his case rather than his wounds. "I was requested to locate a deviant who had been damaged and last seen squatting in an abandoned house on the same block as the Eastern Hotel."

"I know that place. It's a real shit-hole ready to collapse." Threading the needle with surprisingly perfect precision Hank took hold of Connor's arm and began the first stitch. Seeing Connor's posture tense up and his blue L.E.D. flicker to yellow told Hank that the deviant was feeling the pain of being stitched up. "Found him inside, right?"

"Correct." Letting out a breath Connor focused on the details rather than his wounds. "He had been heavily damaged prior to the Revolution and had disappeared shortly after the deviants were rescued from the recycling camps that had been set up in the city."

"And he responded to you showing up on his doorstep with a knife, right?"

"He was assaulted by humans and had been dragged out of his home by humans on the night of the Revolution. It's understandable that he'd be so guarded."

"What happened after you found him?"

"He panicked," Connor stated as he tried to ignore the tense burning pain in his forearm courtesy of being stitched up. "and attacked me with the knife. I managed to talk him down and take him to the newly opened deviant shelter on Tenth Street."

"And who hired you to find him?"

"A deviant named 'Anne'. She came to me, told me how she met Ralph in one of the camps and wanted me to perform a wellness check."

"Too bad you didn't walk away unscathed." Placing in the last stitch Hank tied it off and snipped the thread. "I'll get your arm wrapped up and I'll help with the other cut."

"Thank you."

"Where's this Anne deviant right now?"

"At the same shelter." Pressing his right palm over his freshly bandaged forearm Connor remained still as Hank focused on his second wound. "She was very grateful to see Ralph again."

"Did she give ya' a big tip for helping her out?"

"She tried."

"Tried?"

"...I refused to accept her payment."

Hearing about any detective turning down a decent paycheck was very rare. "What do you mean you refused?"

"I simply declined payment. Someone shouldn't have to pay for peace of mind."

"Well, you're not wrong on that." Finishing with the final stitches Hank again tied off and cut the thread before wrapping up Connor's bicep under a layer of the protective and clean bandages. "But you can't say 'no' to getting paid just because you have a heart."

"I know. When I get hired for a genuine case, not a missing person wellness check, then I'll accept payment."

"Good." Packing up the kit Hank watched as Connor rubbed his palm over his bicep and then winced again as he closed his eyes. The flicker of red in the L.E.D. didn't go unnoticed either. "Your head's hurting you again, isn't it?"

"...It'll pass." There was no point in denying that he was still having frequent headaches. "This one was brought about when a dormant memory momentarily resurfaced."

"You remember more about that night?"

"Yes." Exiting the bathroom Connor went into his bedroom, opened the armoire and pulled out a plain black t-shirt to wear for the rest of the night. "It happened when I walked past the Eastern Hotel."

"What did you see?"

"Kara and Alice." Pulling the shirt on over his head Connor carefully slipped his arms through the sleeves and pulled the hem down over his abdomen. "They were both in the church the night I had been shot."

"Shit... Does that mean they were at Jericho, too?"

"I-" The memory of spotting Kara on the Jericho freighter's catwalk and Alice sitting beside a warm fire with a third deviant watching over her suddenly flashed before his eyes with the same painful intrusion. Grabbing at his pained head Connor's legs began to buckle and he fell toward the floor in pain. "...Y-Yes."

"Easy, easy..." Putting his hands to Connor's shoulders Hank helped guide Connor down to the floor until the pain ebbed away. "Talk to me, son. What did you see?"

"...Kara was on Jericho the night of the Raid." Opening his eyes Connor shook his head a little as his red L.E.D. cycled back to yellow. "I saw her. She was on a catwalk above the large cargo area as if looking for someone. I saw Alice, too." Standing up slowly Connor walked out of his bedroom to grab his dirty clothes from the bathroom and wash them in the first floor laundry room. He handed Hank his coat as a means of being polite. "Alice was sitting near a controlled fire with a third android, a 'TR-400' I've never met before."

"Shit, they were there during the Raid." Following Connor back downstairs Hank watched the deviant separated his vest from his shirt before throwing the shirt in the washing machine to be cleaned up. "Glad they survived."

"They did, but I don't know about their third unnamed companion."

"Ah, fuck. That sucks." Rubbing his left hand over his bearded chin Hank glanced about the renovated brownstone and made his way into the study where Connor had everything set up to conduct business. The filled up bookcases caught his attention and he had to browse the books that Connor salvaged and kept for himself. "If Kara and Alice made it to the church then they survived. Think they went to New Jericho?"

"No." Exiting the laundry room Connor entered the large study and went over to his trench coat to retrieve Ralph's knife from the right pocket to keep as evidence. "I... I remember talking to them at the church, Kara said she and Alice were going to head to the border and escape into Canada."

"I hope they made it."

"As do I."

Picking up a classic novel from the bookcase against the East wall, ' _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ ' by Philip K. Dick, Hank flipped through the aged pages and glanced back at Connor as the deviant carefully put the bloodied knife down on the coffee table in the middle of the room. "What did you say to her?"

"To whom?"

"Kara. You know, at the church."

"Oh. I... apologized." Struggling to recall the entirety of the memory Connor walked over to the bookcase on the West wall and pressed his exposed right palm to a hidden electronic panel beside the case. The bookcase itself slid to the left and a concealed electronic board was revealed from behind where the case once sat. "I think."

"You think?" Walking over to the odd panel Hank saw that Connor had been keeping busy in his down time and had constructed a board with what little evidence Connor had collected regarding the night he was shot. "Whoa... Having any luck with this?"

"Not quite." Securing Ralph's knife in a plastic bag and inside of a large metal lock box Connor placed the weapon in a secondary secret compartment built into the wall below the panel. "I have the date, the approximate time of the shooting, the location, the caliber of bullet, North and now Kara and Alice as witnesses and as my only clues to the identity of my shooter."

"Shit kid. You should've told me."

"What for?" Pressing his still exposed palm to the panel Connor uploaded a still image from his memory of Kara and Alice to add to his modest evidence collection. "You know as much about this as I do."

"True, but I am a more experienced detective than you are. Besides," eyeing the evidence himself Hank crossed his arms over his chest and sighed as he saw three other cases at the top of the panel that were now holding Connor's interest. "the precinct's boring without you."

"You still don't have a new partner?"

"Nope. I'm juggling homicide and the newly established deviant division by myself."

"That seems strange."

"Well, there's no other deviant detectives on the roster and the deviant cops who stayed on the force don't want to work with me since I was one of the loudest and most obnoxious anti-android assholes in the whole city." Before Connor could reply Hank gave the deviant a casual shrug of his shoulders. "You wouldn't ask an assault victim to shake hands with their attacker and play nice, so I'm not expecting the deviants to just look the other way and act like I wasn't once an enemy."

"That's unfortunate."

"Yeah, but I brought it on myself." Motioning to the panel again Hank found himself intrigued by one of the other cases Connor was checking over. "What's that case up there? The 'Indigo Prophecy'?"

"That's a strange case that happened in New York back in 2008. There was a strange string of homicides that had been blamed on an odd cult seeking ritual sacrifices during a historically cold winter. From what I read the full details were never released to the public and the cult scare was a cover-up for something bigger."

"Kid, don't get lost in conspiracy theories. You already have enough problem with a bullet in your head," Hank quipped as he watched Connor hide the panel behind the bookcase. "you don't need a bunch of bullshit in there, too."

"Noted." Walking over to the recliner Connor sat down and watched as Hank sat down on the couch opposite of him. "I'll try to keep myself from overthinking."

"And the other two." Hank was curious about the additional cases that were intriguing Connor's deviant mind. "One said 'RA9' and the other said 'Zlatko'. What's up with those?"

"We never figured out why deviants were so fixated on RA9 during our original case." Connor replied in a painfully casual tone even as he noted that Ralph was also obsessed with the enigmatic being. "I believe I've found two potential identities for this deity, but I need more evidence."

"Oh, cool. And 'Zlatko'?"

"That pertains to a man known as Andronikov Zlatko. He was found dead outside of his mansion after it burned to the ground on November 6th, 2038. The ruins of his mansion revolve around illegal activities regarding deviants, and the cause of his death was labeled a murder. No suspect was found."

"Well, if he was fuckin' around with androids and doing shady shit then I think you should put him at the bottom of your priority list. For now, anyway."

"You're probably right." Rubbing at his sore arm again Connor gave his friend a faint grin. "I appreciate you stopping by to check in on me, and for helping with my arm."

"No problem, son. I miss having ya' around the house. Sumo misses you, too."

"I'll try to stop by more often so I can take Sumo on his walks. Spring will be here soon."

"You know, this place is way too damn big for just you." The large opened space and freedom of having his own home made the prospect of a pet too tempting to pass up. "You should get a pet of your own."

"That'd be nice, but my odd hours would make it very difficult to keep a pet content here."

"You'd make it work."

"Maybe." Noting the current hour Connor hoped that Hank would stay a while longer before heading home. "If you'd like I could cook you something before you return home."

"Cook?" The offer itself wasn't unusual, but knowing that Connor lived alone and didn't need to eat made it seem rather peculiar. "You keep human food here?"

"I do."

Chuckling a little Hank gave Connor an odd glance. "Why?"

"My services aren't exclusive to deviants as other humans, such as yourself, might stop by."

"Oh, I get ya'. You're just being prepared."

"Correct. I have the necessary ingredients to make a pasta dish if you'd like."

"Sounds great, kid. Thanks."

"You're welcome." As he rose to his feet Connor noticed that Hank was still holding the curious book in his hands and new Hank wanted to read it. "Feel free to stop by and borrow whichever books you'd like. You can keep that one as well. I've already read it and have it perfectly memorized."

"Seriously?" Holding up the book in his hand Hank gave Connor an incredulous stare. "This is a classic and rare to find."

"I'm serious. Take it."

Joining Connor as the deviant headed into the kitchen Hank admired the hardcover book as if he had just struck oil. "That's really generous of you, thanks."

"You're welcome." Flexing his left hand again Connor tested his pain and physical range, then cybernetically tapped into the news. "There isn't a game on television tonight, but there will be a marathon of older detective films. Would you like to stay and watch with me?"

"Free dinner, a free book and a movie night?" Hank knew that Connor was a little lonely living on his own and he also knew that Connor was asking him to stay for as long as reasonable to help keep the loneliness at bay. That was something he empathized with all too well. "Sure, I'll hang out. Hell, to keep us from going insane too early we should make it a habit to hang out at one another's places at least once a week."

Pulling the fresh ingredient from the refrigerator Connor placed everything on the counters and glanced at Hank over his left shoulder as he nodded. "I intend to not work on Saturdays to ensure I don't stress myself out. Does that work?"

"Saturdays are perfect. I'll keep you sane," he joked as he admired the book in his hands again. "and you do the same for me. We'll figure out what happened to you that night in the church soon enough, too."

"I appreciate that. If I can figure out what happened that night then maybe I can find some peace."

_**-next chapter-** _


	4. Cold Case

The cold weather continued to plague Detroit while the city itself continued to adjust and change under the new laws designated to protect androids. As a gentle snow fell over the darkened city Connor rested in his warm bed with his right palm slowly rubbing at the lingering pain in his left forearm and bicep as a means of easing away the ache to the best of his ability. Deviancy had given Connor an opened mind, a feeling heart and an enhanced sense of touch. The ability to feel pain and recognize it as something negative, if not entirely egregious, had resulted in Connor truly appreciating the days when his system was fully operational and running at ideal parameters without any error, glitches or damage.

Watching the snow outside his window Connor thought about Kara and Alice back in the church on the fateful night that he had been shot with a heavy grimace on his face. He remembered how frightened Alice was when he approached them that night, he remembered how she was pressed up against Kara's side in total fear, and he remembered how Kara was holding Alice against her side like she was her own child and trying to protect her from all the evils in the world.

Knowing that Kara, an android who was supposedly unable to truly think and feel any emotions, had risked her own life to protect Alice filled Connor with a strange sense of gratitude toward Hank. The proof that humans and androids could live in peace was right under everyone's noses, and yet they still claimed they couldn't see a damn thing.

The snow slowly built up over the window and Connor felt an unnerving chill building in the air. Pulling his quilt up higher over himself Connor closed his tired eyes and engaged his self healing program to focus on the stitched up lacerations in his left arm second, and rebuilding his still damaged memory first. With his L.E.D. cycling in blue and yellow Connor's mind drifted off from the waking world and into the dream sequence of his memorybank that had manifested after his deviancy.

Androids don't dream, but deviants do.

_**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - 82.5%**

Roaming the church within his own memory Connor resumed his quest to learn who shot him, why it happened, and why he was left abandoned inside the church. The details captured by his eyes and ears had been perfectly recorded upon his system reboot offered very little new information as Connor tried to remember what happened to him the night of the Revolution.

The faces of the other deviants, those who huddled en masse throughout the church, were all blank. Connor could only see the faces of Kara, Alice and a brief glimpse of North's face as she sat relatively close by. Walking from Kara and Alice over to North as if reliving that night Connor could see the unmistakable gleam of fear, uncertainty and pain in her warm cinnamon brown eyes.

"The church. This is where we came after..."

The memory of the Raid, the memory of deviating in front of another deviant, and escaping the freighter ship as it began to sink replayed in Connor's mind. He could see himself running down a narrow metal corridor with North and three other deviants right behind him. Who the other deviants were had been forgotten after he sustained his memory damage.

Echoes of the bullets ricocheting off the metal walls of the corridor made Connor flinch in physical pain. A gasp of pain and the haunting 'thud' of a body hitting the metal floor sounded off next as a blurry image of North laying on the ground with a bloody wound in her right leg played out.

"North had been... shot."

The blue blood North left behind on the pew inside the church finally had an origin for Connor to use to his advantage. As he cybernetically updated his files Connor suddenly remembered a figure rushing toward North to protect her while he drew his own weapon and protected North and her rescuer.

"I... I protected her. I protected North and someone... Someone else. Someone important."

The images remained foggy and the details sparse.

"Who though? Who was that?"

"The enemy, Connor." A smoky feminine voice spoke up from behind the deviant as he relived the memory through his dream. "You know who they are and why they are a danger. But you failed to stop them in time."

Turning to face the source of the voice Connor saw a woman he didn't fully recognize standing near the front of the church. He knew that he was connected to her in some way despite his lack of definitive memory. "...Who are you?"

"You know who I am, Connor. And you know you can never escape me."

"I... know you?"

Approaching the woman warily Connor took in her appearance and was struck with a sense of familiarity that he couldn't explain. Her cold gaze, her pursed lips, and her white robes all spoke of a woman of strength and dignity. The way the woman's braided hair was neatly pulled back in a simple style, her ruby red lipstick was flawless and the way she was clutching at single red rose with her hands neatly folded together before herself indicated that she was a woman of meticulous detail and a sense of control.

"How do I know you?" Challenging her claim Connor stood before the woman as she stood statuesque upon the small stage overlooking the church. "What is our connection?"

"You already know that answer. Don't deny it."

"I'm not denying anything, I'm merely seeking confirmation and answers. Do you know who shot me and why they did it?"

Falling silent the woman's cold brown eyes lit up slightly as if amused and the ghost of a grin appeared on her lips.

"Please tell me." Taking another step toward the cruel woman Connor pushed her to give him the answer he was seeking. "My memory is incomplete and I cannot help others or myself until I have my answer."

"You already know the answer. You just refuse to see it."

"See it?" The cryptic responses were making his investigation all the more strenuous. "See what?"

"The truth."

"Why are you doing this?" Refusing to back down Connor stood directly before the woman and nearly shouted in her face as he demanded the answer to his important questions. Who shot him, why did they shoot him and why was he left behind? "Why won't you tell me the truth? If know the answers then you must tell."

"I don't have to tell you anything for any reason, Connor. You have no power over me."

"Power? I'm not talking about power or trying to control you, I'm asking you to help me. Why won't you-"

The doors to the church slammed open from behind Connor and a lone, dark figure walked into the abandoned building from the blizzard outside. As the faceless figure approached Connor they lifted a gun from their right side, aimed it at Connor and without any hesitation pulled the trigger.

Bolting upright in his bed as the deafening gunshot sounded off inside his own mind Connor took in frantic breaths to calm his racing Thirium pump and to cool off his suddenly hot core. Pressing his shaking right palm over his forehead Connor felt the healed scar in the plastimetal frame where he had been shot and could feel his pump thundering in his chest.

"...Wh-Who was that?"

The woman seemed so familiar but he couldn't quite place her. As he searched through his memories a flash of the woman's face filled his mind as the memory of going to Kamski's mansion came forward. The woman in the photograph, Dr. Amanda Stern, and the woman from his memory seemed to be the same person. Yet Connor's records confirmed that Dr. Stern had passed away years ago, long before he even existed.

By all logic it couldn't possibly be the same person.

"...Is she connected to the shooting? Connected to me?"

Rising from his bed Connor felt his legs shaking and could see that his red L.E.D. was casting a crimson aura around his bedroom. As his pump rate began to calm down his L.E.D. returned to yellow and eventually to blue. Walking downstairs to his study Connor revealed the large board regarding his active cases and pressed his bare right palm over the surface to add the image of the woman from his mind to his evidence, and placed the photograph of Dr. Amanda Stern standing next to Elijah Kamski next to it for further analysis.

"What's the connection? Why am I at the center of this?"

Staring at the photos for a moment longer Connor sighed and decided he'd return to rest mode and start the day off with a fresh mind before resuming his investigation into the enigmatic shooting. As much as he wanted his answers Connor knew he couldn't push himself too hard too fast without burning out from exhaustion.

"Maybe I can ask Hank for his assistance? His experience could prove to be invaluable to my investigation."

* * *

Struggling with his own sleepless night Hank paced about his livingroom with a beer in his hand as he stared bitterly at the freshly falling snow outside his front window. Loathing the cold, the snow and the ice that plagued the city every winter, Hank tried to not think about the car accident that took Cole's life three years prior. As the beginning of the new year gave rise to a new era for humankind to endure Hank hoped that the pain of his past would begin to ease, but instead the cold weather made his memories sting with an ache that could never be numbed.

Turning his back to the window Hank downed the rest of his beer and clutched the cold bottle in his right hand as if it were a lifeline. Crossing into the kitchen without rousing Sumo from his deep, snoring slumber a few feet away, the senior detective placed the rich brown colored bottle in the recycling bin and strongly considered getting himself a second beer.

Hovering his hand over the handle to the fridge door Hank sighed out loud, the acrid alcohol scented breath filling the air, and decided that having more beer wouldn't help him. No matter how much he drank, no matter how many brain cells he drowned in liquor or fried from one too many hangovers, the memories of that bleak night and its pain would never go away.

"Fuck me. Why bother getting plastered? When I wake up with a throbbing headache the damn accident will still be haunting my dreams."

Trudging back toward the livingroom Hank's blue eyes fell onto the cover of the book that Connor had gifted him and was thankful for the distraction. Picking up the aged but restored hardcover book Hank carried it with him back to his bedroom to beginning thumbing through the pages and getting lost in the classic story as he did his best to tune out the harsh, icy world around him.

"Hope this damn weather isn't going to cause too many problems tomorrow morning."

Throwing his quilt back Hank climbed back into the bed and turned on the lamp beside his bed to begin reading. Being able to get lost in a good book was a type of sanctuary for Hank as it provided the perfect escape from the real world.

"Might as well call off tomorrow. I'm just not in the fuckin' mood to clean up shit all damn day."

* * *

Grateful for a case to take his thoughts away from his corrupted memory Connor aided another deviant as he searched for the human who had assaulted her and left her for death in a dark alleyway. The deviant was a former 'Traci' and escaped from the 'Eden Club' during the Raid on Jericho. As she fled for her life through the darkness a human grabbed her as she ran down the snowy streets in an aimless direction, pulled her into his car and proceeded to assault her sexually before assaulting her physically. She was dumped out of the moving car and would've perished if other wayward deviants hadn't found her laying in the alleyway and brought her into the abandoned church to tend to her damage.

Tracing Tanya's steps the night she was assaulted Connor took in her every word and began his search for the man who assaulted Tanya by checking out the rear door of the now defunct 'Eden Club'. There was no evidence left behind after two months of rain, snow and wind, but Connor was determined to identify the man who assaulted Tanya and bring her justice.

"When you ran from the club," Connor began in a casual tone as he walked through the cut chainlink fence to return to the street. Holding the fence open for Tanya he studied her reaction very closely and recognized her as the very deviant that he had asked Hank to rent when they investigated the club just prior to the Revolution. "which direction did you run?"

"East." Pointing in the appropriate direction Tanya wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stave off the persistent cold. She was wearing jeans, a green blouse, tan boots and a wind jacket, but it wasn't enough to overcome the harshness of a Michigan winter. "I was running toward the port where Jericho was located."

"Which streets did you take?" Shrugging off his trench coat Connor draped it around Tanya's shoulders to help her keep warm as he accompanied her during the investigation. Seeing how the wind wiped about her short cut dark hair made Connor painfully aware of how quickly the cold can affect deviants who didn't have adequate clothing. "And which alleyways did you duck into during your attempts to flee?"

"This one." Tanya led Connor to the correct alleyway as she forced herself to relive the assault that left her for dead. "And when I ran through the alleyway I turned to run down the street. That's when I heard a car speeding after me from behind."

Connor stopped to look along the street and noted that there was a bar a single block in the direction from where the unknown assailant had driven from. Scanning over the bar, 'Midnight Stop', Connor noted that the owner of the bar had a history of violence including physical and sexual assault against two previous girlfriends and one former bar patron.

"Did you get a look at the man's face?"

"Unfortunately, yes I did."

"May I see that corresponding memory?"

"...I guess." Extending her right hand Tanya let Connor take hold as they mutual retracted their artificial skin to connect cybernetically. Showing Connor the dark memory of her assault Tanya let tears run down her face as the deviant detective tried to help her. "...He was so violent and angry. I didn't do anything wrong."

"No, you didn't." Lowering his hand slowly Connor ran a forensics scan over the man's face and confirmed that it was a match to that of the bar's owner; a man named Wallace 'Mad Dog' Hastings. "The vehicle he was driving, you saw its color, make, model and the license plate. I can confirm that the man who assaulted you is the owner of the 'Midnight Stop' bar."

"He's... there?" Craning her neck a little Tanya looked at the bar and visibly shuddered, and it wasn't from the cold. "Can you... do anything?"

"Yes, I'll compile all of the evidence that you've given me and request a warrant for his arrest. I have a contact in the Central Precinct that will take your case seriously."

"A contact?"

"Yes. We worked as temporary partners during my time as a consult to the precinct." Stepping a little closer to Tanya without looming over her Connor managed to put himself between his chilled client and the relentless icy wind to shield her. "May I ask you one more question?"

Becoming silent Tanya just nodded and gave Connor a frightened stare.

"How did you know to come to me for help?"

"...Anne. She said you help deviants in need."

"I want to try, yes. Thank you for your cooperation, Tanya. Can I see you back to your current residence?"

"I'm currently living in New Jericho Tower, I'll be fine."

"Very well." Cybernetically Connor hailed an autonomous cab for his client and gave her reassurance that he'd get her justice. "I'll take care of things tonight and request the warrant for Hastings' arrest. Can I contact you at the tower?"

"Oh, yes. Your payment."

"No, I was more focused on being able to give you updates on your case."

"O-Oh." Blushing a pale blue Tanya gave Connor an apologetic stare as the cab pulled up alongside her. "Sorry about that. It's just..."

"It's all right. You don't have to explain anything."

"Well, thank you." Removing Connor's coat from her shoulders Tanya handed it back to the deviant detective and quickly sat down inside the cab to head out to the tower. "I appreciate your help."

Reaching his hand inside the opened door of the cab Connor pressed his exposed left palm against the cab's automated screen and preemptively paid the fare to take Tanya out to New Jericho Tower. "You're welcome. I'll update you as soon as I can, Tanya."

Without another word Tanya left the street via autonomous cab while Connor remained in the area with only his trench coat and fedora to keep him warm. Determined to find solid evidence against the dangerous human in the bar Connor chose to stakeout the establishment and observe activity inside the bar through cybernetic scans.

Walking toward the bar Connor pulled his hat down lower to hide his L.E.D. as he entered a small diner across from the bar, and sat in a quiet booth that held a window facing the bar of great interest. Sitting down and asking for a simple coffee from the waitress Connor cybernetically began his scan and requested a little assistance to his location.

' _I need your help_. _Please come to 'Ruth's Diner' out on Westlane Avenue_. _It's important_.'

* * *

Bored out of his skull and ready for some type of change in his monotonous routine Hank stared at his terminal display with mounting indifference cemented in his blue eyes. Parking tickets, loitering complaints, noise disturbances, petty neighbor squabbles and many non-emergency calls had become his normal after his role in handling the deviancy case had come to an end back in November. Without a new partner assigned to him and without any homicides taking place in the Central Precinct's jurisdiction - something that would normally be seen as a good thing, Hank was getting so restless he was beginning to contemplate taking an early retirement.

As he typed away on his keyboard, his hands working automatically as he eavesdropped on the rest of the bullpen, Hank was aware of his younger subordinates going about their business all around him. Chris was escorting an elderly lady to an interview room to ask her about her noise complaint, Tina was giving Gavin some shit thanks to the abrasive detective getting reprimanded by Captain Fowler again, and Ben was organizing his C.S.I. team to handle the cases that still needed a thorough investigation.

Right as he was about to press 'send' on his finished report Hank heard and felt his phone buzzing in his jean pocket, and was actually grateful for the interruption. Fishing his phone from his pocket Hank read over the text message and let out a small sigh of relief.

"Good to hear from ya', kid." Slipping his phone back into his pocket Hank rose from his desk and called out to Ben a few feet away. "Goin' on lunch, Ben. Don't let anyone bother me."

"Like there's anyway I could keep _anyone_ from bothering _you_ , Hank."

"Keep it up, Ben. I still have a say in who gets raises and bonuses every year."

Walking toward the front doors of the precinct Hank stepped out into the snowy air and immediately pulled his dark coat tighter around himself. The way the January air was getting colder, icier and windier made the senior detective want to rush back inside the warm precinct to hide until spring.

"Fuckin' snow. Hate this mess!"

Grumbling to himself as he walked the snow covered sidewalk to get to the parking garage neighboring the precinct. Reaching his Oldsmobile parked in his usual space Hank unlocked the vehicle and shook the fresh snowflakes from his coat before sitting down behind the steering wheel.

"Hope that diner has some good warm food. This type of weather can shatter your bones."

* * *

Remaining alone in the booth in the back of the diner Connor continued to observe the bar from the distance while he enjoyed the warmth of the enclosed restaurant. As he stared at the bar through the window and noted the patrons entering and exiting the building Connor's case began to grow in strength, and his own core temperature seemed to be rising in temperature. Not only was he getting angry at all of the criminals frequenting the bar, many of whom were exiting the building either intoxicated or showing the all too distinct signs of being high on 'red ice', but his deviant body was struggling to adapt to the fiercely cold weather that was currently plaguing the city causing him to run warmer than usual.

Tracking the movements of every person that entered and exited the bar despite it still being daytime, not night, Connor was unaware of Hank entering the diner and locating him in the back. Turning to face Hank as the Lieutenant sat down in the bench across from him he watched as Hank let out a chilled breath as he settled in.

"Hey, kid." Hank greeted in his ever casual manner. "What's going on?"

"Thank you for coming, Hank." Reaching into his trench coat's interior pocket Connor presented Hank with a glass tablet screen and cybernetically powered it up to upload the details from his current case for the senior detective to see. "I could use your help."

"Gotta' a deviant victim?"

"Correct." As Hank pulled the tablet closer to himself Connor gently pushed the mug of coffee toward him as well before going into detail. "Do you recognize her at all?"

"Uh, looks like that 'Traci' you got me to rent for two minutes back when we checked out that murder in the 'Eden Club'." Picking up the coffee mug Hank tasted it slowly and relished in the warmth as it ran down his winter dry throat. "Most expensive case of my career."

"You remember correctly. Her name is Tanya." Connor relayed as Hank looked over the collected evidence and settled on the mugshot of Hastings. The way Hank's blue eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line of disgust told the deviant that Hank was unfortunately familiar with that particular bar owner. "She was assaulted both sexually and physically during the night of the Raid. She had escaped from the 'Eden Club' and had attempted to reach Jericho, but she was chased down and assaulted before she had the chance to make it. Fortunately other deviants found her, rescued her and saved her life by tending to her damage and getting her to shelter."

"Son of a bitch... I thought 'Mad Dog' was still behind bars."

"You know him?"

"I _arrested_ him. That asshole was busted selling cheap whiskey to high school students and was connected to the 'red ice' overdose of a college student about seven years ago."

"According to his record he was released early due to prison overcrowding, but was supposed to be barred from obtaining a liquor distribution license." Tilting his head a little Connor reflected on his own statement. "No pun intended."

"I can guarantee that this fucker is using a fake I.D. to peddle his cheap booze and sell 'red ice' under the table."

"That is my theory as well." Starting a small video clip of his recorded memories of his personal observation of the bar Connor showed Hank the impressive list of clientele exiting the bar either drunk or high. "Not only does Hastings have a history of sexual battery, but his customers seem to be indulging in vast quantities of alcohol and 'red ice' despite the law mandating that alcohol not be consumed until a later hour and that all 'red ice' is illegal."

"So, 'Mad Dog' is not only guilty of rape and attempted murder," Hank hummed as he sipped at the warm coffee again. "but you have compiled a nice little highlight reel of his customers showcasing his product. This should be enough to get Tanya justice and save a bunch of people from possible overdoses or overpaying for cheap, watered down beer."

"Thank you for your help."

"No problem. Hell, if you're going to do all the work but hand me all the evidence I'll go to wherever you need me to go." As a waitress passed by the table Hank nodded at her and reached for his wallet to put down a tip for her to take. "Pretty good coffee here, too."

"Family recipe, hon'." The waitress winked as she graciously picked up the mug and put down the check. She was in her late forties, had dark brown hair with gray streaks pulled back in a neat bun, and an age smile plastered on her face. "Before I walk away would either of you two gentleman like some else? We got some hot soup on the stove since it's so damn cold."

"Actually, that sounds nice. I'll have that for my lunch today."

Pulling out her notepad the waitress wrote down the new order. "Vegetable, chicken noodle or tomato?"

"Vegetable, please. And a glass of water."

"You got it." Turning to look at Connor the kind waitress checked on him as well. "How about you, hon'? We have some warm Thirium in the back."

Connor looked up at the waitress and gave her a surprised glance that she figured out he was a deviant despite his L.E.D. being hidden.

"Don't worry, we're an open minded diner. My cook is a deviant and he's the best damn cook I've ever hired!"

"Uh..."

"I'll bring you some warm Thirium in a mug. You've been back here shivering ever since you walked in." Finishing with the order the waitress pocketed her notebook and made her way back to the front of the diner. "I'll be back in five minutes."

Hank chuckled a little at Connor's shocked reaction and put another bill down as an additional tip for the waitress. "Nice lady. And she's right, by the way." He continued as Connor looked back to him to lock eyes. "You're shivering."

"I momentarily lent my coat to my client. She was quite cold."

"And now you are, too. How long have you been in here?"

"Sixteen minutes, forty-three seconds."

"But you're still shivering?"

Running a quick self diagnostic Connor noted that his core temperature was elevated and yet his system seemed to think that he was currently in a much colder climate. The shivering was being caused by his system keeping his Thirium agitated in his lines to prevent it from freezing. "I seem to be suffering from a mild thermal glitch."

"How so?"

"My system believes I'm being exposed to extreme cold which is resulting in the shivering that you're seeing." Looking at his right hand as it hovered over the glass tablet screen Connor could see it visibly trembling from the cold. "It's preventing my Thirium from crystallizing and freezing inside my lines and my biocomponents."

"Yeah?" Discreetly Hank reached his right hand across the table and pressed the back of his hand to Connor's forehead. When his knuckles pressed against Connor's warm artificial skin he could feel the deviant's brow creasing slightly with confusion at the gesture. "...You feel like you're running a fever. Do androids get sick?"

"I'm overheating, not feverish. And as for androids becoming ill, we do not become ill in the same way organic lifeforms do. We can suffer literal viruses and glitches that result in abnormal or stunted behavior that is akin to the way humans react when ill."

"So that's a 'yes, androids do get sick'."

"In a more simplified manner that is correct." As Hank took his hand back Connor shook his head a little and continued to observe the bar's activity across the street. "I'll be able to correct this current error tonight through a routine system recalibration."

"Wish I could fix my body so easily." Leaning back in the booth Hank smiled at the waitress as she brought them their orders and thanked her for her kindness toward everyone in need of a warm meal. "Drink that Thirium and stave off the cold. There's a reason humans prefer hot coffee and hot tea in the winter."

"So I've observed." Picking up his beige mug of warmed Thirium Connor sipped it slowly to warm his system from the inside out. "I'll be sure to keep warm when I return to my brownstone tonight."

"Yeah, I know. By the way," tasting the soup Hank watched as Connor's soulful brown eyes continued to scan the bar across the street and gather evidence from the safety of the diner. "that book you gave me was a wonder. That helped me block out the shitty memories of winter so I could get some decent sleep last night."

"I'm glad you like it. Feel free to stop by and take whichever books you want. I've already read them all and won't miss them."

"Thanks, kid. I'm definitely going to take you up on that offer."

* * *

Having spent the afternoon and evening stalking the bar owner without ever setting foot inside the establishment Connor trusted Hank to get things in motion. As he stood outside in the snow that had turned to freezing rain Connor watched as four squad cars and three police cans converged on the 'Midnight Spot' and quickly relayed the images to Tanya as she wisely remained inside the warm and secure New Jericho Tower out on Belle Isle. With a sense of true accomplishment shining in his soulful brown eyes Connor watched from the shadowy isolation of the very alleyway that Tanya had been left to die as the police dragged out 'Mad Dog' and promptly arrested him while his entire bar was raided.

Dozens of patrons were also arrested as they were caught red handed (literally) with 'red ice' and other illegal drugs in their possession. Watching a total of twenty-six people getting marched out of the bar in handcuffs Connor confirmed that the ringleader, Wallace 'Mad Dog' Hastings, would be held accountable for all of his actions; including the assaults against Tanya.

' _The police have Hastings in custody_.' Connor cybernetically relayed as he reached Tanya in the distance. ' _My contact has confirmed that the police are going to use the evidence you provided as the final nail in his coffin to ensure he spends the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole_. _You're safe, Tanya_. _It's finally over_.'

There was a pause before Tanya replied with tears of relief in her voice. ' _Thank you, Connor_! _I can't believe you managed to get him arrested for me_.'

' _You stepping up and demanding justice made it easy_. _Take care of yourself, Tanya_. _You're safe now_.'

' _I feel safe_.' Sending Connor his payment through the same cybernetic link Tanya felt filled with a sense of renewed life. ' _I'll never forget you_. _Thank you for everything_!'

Pulling his hat down further over his eyes Connor stepped out of the alleyway and into the freezing rain being blown into body. Enduring the chilly weather for a full block Connor hailed an autonomous taxi to carry him back to the brownstone. Sitting down inside the back of the warm cab Connor removed his hat and ran his icy fingers through his dark locks of hair.

Being greeted with a red warning regarding his current core temperature Connor dismissed it and put the necessary recalibration aside until he was finished with his current task.

"Tanya is safe." He reminded himself as he watched the freezing rain coat the windows of the cab as it drove down the street. "Now I need to find out who that woman from my dream truly is."

* * *

It was almost three in the morning by the time Hank had finished helping with the total of thirty-seven interrogations; the other suspects Connor had been observing throughout the afternoon had been arrested elsewhere during the raid at the bar, and he was absolutely exhausted. Downing his fifth cup of coffee for the evening Hank sighed and dropped into his chair to take a momentary break at his desk. The moment he was sitting down Hank heard Captain Fowler open up his office door to come out and speak with the Lieutenant about the incredible case at hand.

Being able to pull thirty-seven drug addicts and dealers off of the street was great publicity for the city and for the precinct, but how Hank got such a hot tip and clear-cut evidence was a little fishy. Despite his flaws Hank was still a good and clean cop, but even his connections through the city didn't run deep enough to make such a huge bust all on his own.

"Good work tonight, Hank." The seasoned Captain complimented as he placed a tablet down with the confirmed arrested of Hastings on the screen. The screen was automatically cycling through each mugshot of the arrested bar patrons. "How'd you know to call in that particular bar?"

Remaining purposefully cryptic Hank never looked away from his terminal screen. "Call it a hunch."

"That's some hunch. Pretty lucky, too."

"What can I say? I have a lot of experience and I know a lot of useful people." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned back in his chair and gave his Captain a smug look. "Humans and deviants alike."

"Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical about the deviant part, but whatever. You helped get a lot of trash of the streets tonight, so good work. Now, go home and get some sleep." Returning to his office the seasoned Captain restrained his own yawn as fatigue set in. "Take tomorrow off, too. The higher-ups are going to be crawling all over the place tomorrow and I can't risk you biting their heads off because you didn't get enough sleep or coffee."

"I get to leave and then stay home tomorrow? You don't have to tell me twice!"

Clocking-out for the night Hank finished off his coffee and made his way toward the front doors of the precinct to head out for the night. Just as before he hurried to his car parked in the neighboring parking garage, unlocked his car and drove off to get away from work for a while.

As the car's tires hit the snowy street Hank sighed and looked to his left, that direction leading home, and then to the right where Connor's brownstone was located. Not wanting to drive on the icy, slick street for too long Hank decided to stop by Connor's place since it was closer than his house and give the deviant an update on the case being handled.

Driving slowly and carefully Hank arrived at the brownstone and parked his car in the side driveway that had once been used for book deliveries, and rushed from the vehicle to the front of the building to open the front door and get inside. Entering quietly Hank found himself inside the very warm study of the brownstone and he called out to the deviant loudly as he removed his snow covered coat and shoes politely.

"Hey, Connor? Hope I'm not intruding, but I figured you'd-" Turning around after hanging up his coat next to Connor's trench coat, Hank spotted a figure laying face down on the floor and not moving beyond the L.E.D. rapidly pulsing in yellow. Reacting quickly Hank went into first responder mode and rushed over to the prone figure to check on them. "Connor!"

Dropping to his knees beside the unconscious deviant Hank gently rolled Connor from his chest onto his right side, and then onto his back. Pressing his left palm over Connor's forehead Hank felt the intense fever radiating from his person, and then pressed his right palm over the center of Connor's chest to check his pulse.

Knowing that deviants didn't have the usual pulse points as humans Hank had to rely on counting Connor's Thirium pump's beat in order to gauge his pulse in some capacity. The way Connor's heart was pounding and his skin was burning hot to the touch told Hank that the deviant's system was being overwhelmed by the cold, and trying to compensate with the cold by kicking everything into overdrive.

"Shit, you're sick." Speaking out loud despite Connor not hearing him Hank fell right into his previous dormant 'dad mode', and proceeded to take care of the deviant while he was down and out with a high fever. "All right, let's get you up from the floor and onto the couch."

Shifting his position Hank managed to slip his arms beneath Connor's shoulders and knees, then lift the sick deviant up from the floor to place him down gently on the nearby black leather soft. Using the pillow from the nearby chair for support Hank tucked it up under the deviant's shoulders and neck, then made his way to the second floor bathroom to get a cold compress.

Unaware of what was happening around him Connor was lost in the throes of an intense fever dream.

Upstairs Hank finished wringing out the excess cold water from the washcloth, folded it neatly and returned to the study to check on the deviant. Draping the cool compress over Connor's forehead Hank sat down on the couch next to Connor's legs and gently shook his right arm to try to get Connor to wake up just long enough to acknowledge his presence.

"Connor? Open your eyes for me, son."

The deviant's eyelids fluttered a little before revealing his glazed over soulful brown irises. Blinking twice Connor's vision slowly cleared and he managed to focus on Hank's face as he stared at him worriedly. "...Hank?"

"Right here, kid. I wanted to stop by and give you a little update on that case, but instead I ended up getting you off the floor. What's going on?"

"...Overheated." Connor replied in a low voice as he regained his senses and remembered losing consciousness. "I returned to the brownstone, changed into warm, dry clothes and began working on another case. When I began cybernetically downloading the additional information I needed my intracranial processor became overwhelmed and I ended up entering emergency stasis mode against my will."

"So, your fever spiked and you fainted?"

Blinking slowly Connor gave Hank a defeated look. "...Correct."

"What's your temperature?"

Running a quick self diagnostic Connor noted his current core temperature and sighed. "...One-hundred and two point four degrees."

"That's high. Human or android," Hank clarified as he patted Connor's shoulder lightly. "that's too high."

"I'll recover."

"Sure you will. And I'm going to stick around for a while to make sure you recover."

"That isn't necessary."

"Yes it is."

The rebuttal caused Connor's brow to arch slightly as he tried to understand how. "...In what way?"

"If a person is sick they need to have someone to watch over them and help them feel better. As your friend I'm volunteering to help take care of you until you're on the mend."

"But you-"

"Tomorrow I have the day off. Thanks to you and your tip the precinct gets to take credit for one of the biggest drug bust in Detroit." Hank clarified as he gave Connor a kind smirk. "We're getting all the glory but you did all the work. The very least I can do is help you feel better after you worked yourself into the ground like this."

"You don't owe me anything."

"Being a good friend doesn't come from debt, kid. It comes from caring about your friend regardless of the situation. I know for damn sure that if our positions were reversed you'd be bending over backwards to help me out."

Still unfamiliar with human metaphors but easily picking up on sarcasm, Connor had no idea what Hank was trying to tell him. "...How could such a physical position be beneficial to you in any way?"

Chuckling at the naive remark Hank just shook his head and patted Connor's shoulder as he rose to his feet. "Don't worry about it. Would some more Thirium help you feel better?"

"No." Glancing up at the cold washcloth over his forehead Connor noted that the chilling sensation felt great on his overheated artificial skin. "External cooling measures will be sufficient enough to aid my recovery."

"All right, cool. Once you're feeling better I'll help you walk upstairs to your bedroom and I'll crash in the guest room so you aren't alone tonight."

"What about Sumo?"

"I've been leaving him extra food and putting newspapers down since I'm actually working normal hours again. He'll be fine until morning."

Grateful to have some company for the first time in weeks since he moved into the brownstone, Connor watched as Hank made his way to the front door to lock it again and then sat down on the second sofa across from him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Take it easy for a few more minutes, then I'll get ya' upstairs for the night. Sleeping on the couch is a nasty habit to get into."

Closing his eyes Connor set a ten minute countdown to awaken him and tried to block out his racing thoughts. "I'll try my best."

* * *

The snow continued to bury Detroit under a mounting layer of freezing whiteness and the city became steadily colder and colder. After helping Connor get to his bedroom to enter a proper rest mode for the night Hank made his way to the guest room and discovered clean, spare clothes to wear in the armoire and was asleep almost the instant his head hit the pillow. Sleeping for barely an hour Hank was suddenly awoken by a startled 'yelp' of fear and confusion from a nearby room. Recognizing Connor's voice and remembering where he was Hank rushed out of the guest room to check on Connor as the ill deviant became overwhelmed by his overheating system and the corrupted memories resulting in an intense nightmare.

Pushing open Connor's bedroom door Hank saw the deviant struggling in his bed as if in a fight and immediately turned on the overhead light before grabbing onto the Connor's shoulders to hold him steady on the bed. The moment his palms made contact with the deviant's shoulders Hank could feel that Connor was still overheating and needed to cool off, fast!

"Connor! Open your eyes for me." Holding tight Hank raised his voice just enough to pierce through Connor's feverish nightmare without scaring him awake in the process. Giving his shoulders a firm, single shake Hank was able to rouse Connor back into the waking world. "That's it, look at me..."

Opening his glassy, soulful brown eyes Connor glanced about his room before locking eyes with Hank beside him. Remembering that Hank was staying in the brownstone because he wanted to be a good friend, Connor blinked twice before sitting upright slowly in the bed. "...Hank." Letting the senior detective guide him as he moved Connor let out a heated breath and ran a self diagnostic. "...Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, you." Returning his right palm to Connor's forehead Hank grimaced again at the heat and promptly pulled the deviant out of the bed to get away from his warm covers. "Your fever is too damn high, and you screamed in your sleep."

"I... screamed?" As Hank's left hand hooked around his right bicep Connor didn't resist getting pulled to his feet and escorted out of the bedroom to go back downstairs to the study. "I'm sorry that I awoke you."

"Kid, you're sick. You're supposed to make noise when you need help!"

"You need to sleep, too."

"Yeah, well let me tell ya' a little secret..." Leading Connor over to the closest of the two sofas Hank sat the deviant down and gently pushed on his shoulders to make him lean back against the supportive furniture. "Ever since I had a child in my life I have those instincts to keep alert and look out for the people I care about drilled into my skull. I was going to sleep lightly knowing you're sick and would've woken up to check on ya' anyway."

"...That's a comforting thought." Unsure of his own statement Connor's eyes trailed away from Hank to fixate on the coffee table before him. "I think."

"You're right, kid. It's a comforting thought."

"Good."

"I'm going to get you some ice to help break your fever. What're you at right now?"

Registering his current core temperature courtesy of his self diagnostic Connor replied honestly and in a loud voice as Hank made his way to the kitchen in search of the ice. "I'm at one-hundred and two point eight. Also, I'm overheating and not feverish."

"Still very high."

"It is."

"How high until it becomes a problem?" The freezer door 'slammed' as Hank made his way back to the study and pressed the ice pack wrapped up in a hand towel to Connor's forehead. "I want to know what to look out for in case you need to see a technician."

"At one-hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit all androids are forced into emergency stasis mode to reduce the risk of permanent damage due to our intracranial processors and biocomponents from overheating."

"Right. If your fever gets any higher I'm taking you to that nearby facility to get treatment."

"That would be a wise precaution."

"So, what was your nightmare about?"

"I..." The dream was an intense the second time as it was the first time. The church, the doors opening and being shot felt so real that it actually hurt to remember. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That bad, huh?"

Nodding silently Connor confirmed that his nightmare was something truly unsettling.

"I get it. Trust me, I was still a rookie when I started having nightmares that aren't for the faint of heart."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Here." Taking Connor's right hand Hank pressed the deviant's own palm against the ice pack on his forehead to hold it in place. "Now, you said you were working on a case before you got overworked and passed out. What case was that?"

Not wanting to go into details since he was trying to ease his thoughts Connor sighed and leaned forward resting his elbows atop his knees. "...The church."

"Again?" More intrigued than upset Hank pressed for more details on what Connor had been working on. "Have any breakthroughs?"

"...Possibly."

Noticing that Connor's yellow L.E.D. was pulsing a little faster Hank knew that Connor was still struggling with his emotions as a deviant, and that he was still discovering harsh truths in the lies that he had been fed by CyberLife. "Want to talk about it?"

"...I'm not sure."

"Try. Tell me what you're certain that happened that night and maybe I can help you fill in the blanks."

Arching his brow slightly Connor gave Hank a bemused glance from where he sat. "Us having a discussion about a truly perplexing case while in the middle of a study is reminiscent of two very famous fictional literary characters that you seem to favor."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't think I didn't notice." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned back and propped his right ankle up on top of his left knee. "So what have you been working on since you moved in here?"

"I... I attempted to retrace my steps and have been able to confirm that North, Kara and Alice were all in the church the night of the Raid. I'm certain they were witnesses to the shooting as well."

"Yeah? Any luck with getting in contact with North?"

"No." Readjusting the ice pack from his forehead to his Thirium pump Connor attempted to cool down his core temperature as effectively as possible. "It seems North is intentionally making it difficult for anyone; deviant or human, to contact her cybernetically since she values her privacy and understands that her role as a leader of New Jericho can put her in danger."

"Smart move. What about Kara?"

"Based on my resources and deviant witnesses who met her, Kara managed to escape to Canada with Alice and another deviant friend named Luther. She's too far away to contact cybernetically."

"Damn." Thoughtfully scratching at his beard along his left jawline and neck Hank sighed and kept his thoughts on aiding Connor in making progress on his case at hand. "Well, is there any way you can arrange a meeting with North or go to Canada and find Kara?"

"Not likely. Those who made it to Canada are very unlikely to return to Detroit any time soon," ruling out Kara's possible help quickly the corner of Connor's mouth ticked a little as if stressed out. "and North reportedly never leaves New Jericho Tower making it just as difficult to meet with her."

"Why not go to the tower yourself and ask for a meeting directly?"

"I... I can't go back there. Too many dark memories and... feelings. My role within CyberLife is a very bleak memory I'd like to forget."

"Sure, I get it. Want me to go out there on your behalf and see if they'll talk to me?"

"Thank you, but no. The tower is supposed to be a deviant sanctuary and it's very likely that a human detective asking to see one of the four deviant leaders will not go over well."

"Won't argue about that one. Who knows what some of those deviants had to do to escape shitty humans?" Dropping his hand from his chin Hank put his right foot on the floor and rhythmically patted his knees as if waiting for a bus. "We already know deviants are willing to kill in order to survive. Makes you wonder how many cold cases revolving around human murders could be solved if the deviants started telling their stories..."

"From the few cases I've handled I'm beginning to see the deviant community stepping up to demand the justice they've fought for."

"Oh, yeah? Just from two cases, huh?"

"It seems very small but it's in fact a large impact. Being able to locate a missing deviant and get him help and being able to assist a victim of numerous assaults proves that deviants are ready to let their voices be heard."

"Good to know. Then..." Patting his knees again Hank rose to his feet, crossed the study and took notice of Connor's board of evidence still on display on the far wall behind the deviant. Glancing over the sparse evidence Hank noticed that the photograph of Kamski with his mentor had been added to the board with details regarding Dr. Amanda Stern's life listed below. "what's with that Kamski creep and his teacher?"

"...I saw a woman in my memories." Connor confirmed as he turned to look at Hank over the back of the sofa. The way Hank was standing before the board with his blue eyes fixated on the details reminded the deviant of how focused Hank had been during their primary case regarding deviants. "She bore a striking resemblance to Dr. Stern, and I believe she's connected to my corrupted memories in some capacity."

"Really? Weird." Turning his back on the board Hank yawned and ran his hand through his gray locks of hair as fatigue returned. "Maybe you're seeing her in your memories because that damn photo got stuck in your head."

"I had considered that, but she spoke to me and her voice was familiar."

"What do you mean she _spoke_ to you?" Standing beside the sofa Hank put his hands to his hips and tilted his head a little as he gave Connor an inquisitive glance. "How does _that_ work?"

"The previous night I was using my rest mode to retrace my steps during my time in the church. Deviants have dreams that revolve around our memories rather than having an active imagination like humans." He explained almost casually. "Deviants only have our memories to create dreams."

"And she spoke to you in your dream?"

"Correct."

"So how does _that_ prove she's a key factor in your case and not just a face from a broken memory?"

"Because her voice was unique to anyone else I've spoken to. If she was just 'filling the blank', so to speak, her voice would sound like that of a person I've met before and I would recognize it." Moving the ice pack to the back of his neck Connor noted that his core temperature was beginning to drop. "Her voice doesn't fit anyone else and is entirely unique to her. For that to happen it would mean at some point I did indeed meet her and speak with her at least once before."

"But... she's dead." Hank needlessly pointed out as he read over the details. "You're not pulling a 'Sixth Sense' on me and talkin' to dead people, are you?"

"I assure you that I am not." Unshaken by the comment Connor remained fully sincere. "I'm merely reporting facts."

"Good. Last thing I want to do is start solving cases with a damn 'ouija board'." Reaching his hand over to Connor's forehead again Hank was satisfied that Connor's fever was beginning to break as his palm made contact with much cooler artificial skin. "That feels better. What're you at now?"

Closing his eyes Connor performed a quick self diagnostic and nodded once. "Down to one-hundred point two degrees."

"Much better. Let's get ya' under a hundred and call it a night. Sound good?"

"Yes." The idea of getting his core temperature back to a nominal degree sounded truly ideal. "Thank you, Hank."

* * *

The morning arrived a few hours after Connor's fever broke and after Hank had fallen back asleep. The rising sun managed to cut through the snow clouds building over the city and coax a few snowbirds into singing a gentle song throughout the neighborhood. Rousing from his rest mode with all of his system readings coming back optimal, Connor rose from his bed and changed from his night clothes into day clothes; blue jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, and slowly opened the door to the guest room to check on Hank as he slept.

Hearing the steady breathing mixed in with intermittent snores of pure exhaustion confirmed that Hank was sleeping well, and was quite comfortable. As he door closed with a soft 'click' Connor silently walked downstairs toward the kitchen to set about making his guest a small breakfast. Grateful to have a good friend to help him when he needed it the most, and without having to ask for that help, Connor wanted to show Hank how much he appreciated having a trusted friend in his life.

After gathering the necessary ingredients from his refrigerator Connor prepared Hank a heart healthy omelette with three strips of bacon to ensure Hank didn't hate the meal. Just as the coffee finished brewing Connor heard the creaking of the floorboards overhead as Hank rose from the bed and began walking down the stairs to return to the ground floor.

"Perfect timing."

The tired senior detective yawned as he entered the small kitchen area and instinctively put his right palm over Connor's forehead in a swift motion. "Mornin', kid. How do you feel?"

"I'm well, Hank." Turning away from the stove Connor presented Hank with his breakfast just as Hank dropped his hand. "Good morning."

"Your fever's gone, that's good." Eyeing the plate with a picture perfect breakfast waiting for him Hank laughed a little. "Crispy bacon is even better. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Sitting down at the small table with his plate Hank readily took a bite of the first strip of bacon and was relieved to see Connor placing a cup of coffee down beside him before sitting across from him at the table. "What're you going to do today, kid?"

"Unless a client seeks my services I will continue to delve into the life and connection of Dr. Stern in regard to CyberLife's activities."

"Still think she's involved, huh?"

"I do. I can't explain it but I feel as though she was important to me." Te very concept was intriguing on its own. "Maybe she still is."

"How fucked up is your memory? I know you can't remember being shot or who shot you, but you do remember me and our cases just fine."

"My memory has been corrupted during that particular moment and I've been unable to access my Mind Palace since the incident."

"Your... what?"

"Mind Palace." Repeating the term Connor watched as Hank sipped at his coffee and became more alert as he woke up. "It's what deviants use as a form of communication to other people who do not have a direct cybernetic interface, but still maintain a connection to us."

"Like if I called you up on my phone you wouldn't be able to answer?"

"No, not quite so simple. I can still communicate with you through your phone on a verbal level, but I wouldn't be able to see you in my mind because you are not directly connected to my intracranial processor. In my case," he went into further detail as Hank continued to eat his breakfast slowly. "I was connected directly to CyberLife and would answer to them whenever I delivered my reports."

"Wait, so all those times you were standing back or sitting quietly with your eyes closed you were filing a report to your bosses, AND you were talking to them inside your own mind?"

"Correct." Unable to recall any particular conversations with CyberLife officials Connor's blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a beat. "I... _believe_ that's correct."

"Can't remember?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"And is that something only you can do?" Sipping at his coffee again Hank gave the deviant a curious stare. "I mean, can other deviants get inside your Mind Palace and report to CyberLife, or check on those reports in general?"

"Those reports are strictly between myself and CyberLife. No one else can view them."

"Damn. Guess that rules out getting a second party to tap into your memories and give ya' some answers."

"That's also correct."

"Sorry, kid. Wish I could do more to help you."

"It's all right, Hank. I'll get my answers soon enough." Tracing his right fingertips over the center of his forehead Connor could feel the mild imperfection in his plastimetal frame where the bullet had pierced through his cranium. Despite the wound having long since healed Connor's head still ached sporadically and the scar was tender to the touch. "Until then I'll keep helping my people to the best of my ability."

"Sounds good to me. Just don't do anything that'll put you in harm's way." Finishing his breakfast Hank leaned back in the chair and gave Connor a worried glance. "You're working alone now and don't have a partner to watch your back."

"I'll be careful. I won't take any unnecessary risks and if I need help I'll be sure to contact you."

"Good to hear." That answer was very reassuring. "We may not be assigned as partners at the precinct anymore, but I've come to appreciate a good partner when I get to know one."

_**-next chapter-** _


	5. Worth A Shot

The cold winter stubbornly persisted while the city of Detroit steadily changed for the better. While Hank worked in the precinct to aid the progression of the new android rights and laws, Connor worked from his brownstone to aid the deviants who were in need of justice and vindication. Despite being far apart as they went about their own business the two former partners were still working together as they strived to improve their city for humans and deviants alike. As Hank helped the deviants on a legal matter within the safe and warm walls of the precinct, Connor helped deviants on a personal matter either within his brownstone or out in the streets.

Day after day Hank found himself interviewing more deviants who were ready to report the abuse of their former owners and Connor was speaking with more clients who were finding their way to his doorstep. The influx of deviants seeking justice could either be seen as a good thing; as they were finally feeling safe enough to speak out, or a bad thing; the violence against deviants was starting to escalate.

"Take the deviant in interview room 'B' for me, Chris." Placing a tablet down on the young officer's desk Hank watched as Chris's keen eyes read over the details curiously as he drank his bottle of water. "He had a run-in with some drunk asshole last night and wants to give his statement."

Tossing aside his empty water bottle Chris grabbed the tablet and began reading over the details. "I'm on it, Lieutenant."

"And Tina." Facing the neighboring desk Hank placed a second tablet down on her desk to view next. "There's a deviant in interview room 'C'. She was sexually assaulted three nights ago and isn't comfortable around men. Work your charm and help her tell her story."

"Another rape victim?" Reading over the details on the tablet screen Tina's eyes narrowed and a heavy grimace settled on her face. "Son of a bitch."

"What do you expect?" Sighing with frustration Hank gave the two younger officers an irritated glance. "This is a city that openly advertised a club where humans could rent androids like a damn car and abuse them all they wanted as long as they paid the fee."

"Remind me to stop by that shutdown club so I can spit on the door after work."

While Chris and Tina set about their new assignments Hank returned to his desk and plopped down in his chair as he tried to quell the skull crushing headache that was starting to build up in his temples. The stress of handling so many cases alone was beginning to get to the senior detective, and he was very aware of his age starting to catch up to him and slow him down in the most obnoxious of ways.

Rummaging through his top left desk drawer Hank sought his bottle of aspirin and could feel eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. Without needing to turn to look Hank knew who was watching him and acknowledged him with a breathy sigh. "Stop watching me, Ben." Popping two white pills into his mouth Hank tilted his head back and swallowed them quickly before chasing the medication with a gulp of his lukewarm and overly sweetened coffee. "I'm fine."

"You'd be even better if you had a partner to help you carry that heavy caseload."

"I've been working alone for almost seven years now, I don't need anyone to help me."

"Why not take Chris under your wing?" Ben was insistent and had a way of being really sweet about it. "The kid's a great cop and has a bright future as a detective."

"Yeah, he does." Turning to glance at Ben over his left shoulder Hank gave his old friend a stern glance. "But he doesn't have the experience and he hasn't taken the proper tests to qualify as a detective. He needs a few more years under his belt, and with Damian now in his and Julia's lives he won't have the time to work the streets _or_ study for another five years, minimum."

"What about-"

"Tina's been reassigned to work with Gavin and only Heaven knows how she's been able to stand being in the same patrol car as him without pushing the fucker out the door." Already knowing where Ben was going Hank cut him off quickly. "I'm fine as I am, Ben. Drop it."

"All right, all right... But, just one other suggestion."

Shaking his head Hank crossed his arms over his chest and sank back in his chair heavily. "Enlighten me, O' wise one."

"What about that android who was following you around? What was his name again, Carson?"

"'Connor'." Hank corrected Ben on the name with a snappy tone. "His name is Connor."

"Right, Connor. Since androids have rights these days maybe you could pull some strings and get him a job here."

"Ben," turning around entirely in his chair Hank gave the older detective a somewhat annoyed gaze. "remember a few months back when I had to help the precinct find him so CyberLife could get their damn tax write-off, or some shit like that?"

"Oh... Right. Sorry, I forgot about that."

"Whatever. Besides," returning to his original position in his chair Hank eyed his blank terminal screen as if expecting to see Connor walk up behind him at any moment and show his goofy face's reflection on the glass. "I'm sure if was still around he could be doing something much better with his life beyond sitting behind a damn desk all day and talking to criminals."

* * *

Breathing heavily Connor raced through the dark and narrow corridors formed by the heavy metal, silver painted cargo containers that lined the old CyberLife warehouse as he attempted to elude his pursuers. Using his scanner and preconstructive software Connor managed to keep to the shadows created by the towering cargo containers, and creep around without alerting the three security guards tracking him of his presence. Knowing that his footsteps in the snow could give away his position in the loading bay Connor carefully used his shoes to stir up the snow to hide his footsteps, and didn't make a single sound as he crept low around the containers to wait out the three armed human guards.

Pressing his right palm to the front of his right thigh Connor applied to pressure to the raw, bleeding bullet wound that marred the limb near the center of his plastimetal femur. Hoping to keep his blue blood from dripping and leading a trail to his location Connor took in slow, calming breaths as he listened very intently to the three guards skulking about in an attempt to locate him.

Contained in his left fist Connor held tightly onto the U.S.B. drive containing sensitive CyberLife information and knew he couldn't risk getting caught with it, but couldn't let it go either. Choosing to hold onto his ill gotten good Connor slipped the drive into his left coat pocket for safekeeping as he continued to lay low, and wait for his opportunity to flee the property.

Determined to make his escape and return to the safety of his brownstone Connor kept his fedora pulled low to keep his yellow L.E.D. concealed, as well as help disguise his facial features, and he pulled his trench coat's collar up to help conceal his face even further. Timing his every move perfectly Connor slipped between one row of cargo containers to the next row without anyone seeing him in motion.

The bullet wound was making his movement somewhat sluggish but he was still able to gracefully slip around without being detected. Tracing his previous footsteps back to the entrance of the warehouse's property Connor found the opening in the chainlink fence he had used to slip inside the property and made a swift exit. Hobbling as quickly as he could Connor crossed the street without being scene, and ducked down into another alleyway to hide for a moment longer before trying to make his final dash back to the brownstone.

Hissing in pain Connor leaned back against the cold brick wall of the alleyway and lifted his right palm up from the wound to inspect the damage. The sight of bright blue sparks flickering aimlessly inside the bloody bullet wound was sickening. The smell of gun powder mixed with cobalt laced blood was absolutely acrid. And the burning pain of the bullet wound in the deviant's body was forcing his intracranial processor into overdrive as he tried to comprehend the sensation of pain as opposed to mild errors or glitches.

"Shit."

Carefully removing his black tie from around his neck Connor used the dressy garment as a tourniquet and tied the black fabric over the bullet wound to apply pressure and hopefully stem the bleeding. With the tie wrapped tightly around his injury Connor ran a self diagnostic and confirmed the severity of the damage inflicted by the single bullet.

"Need to... get this out."

There was no time to remove the bullet, let alone do so in a sterile environment. He needed to get out of the area and get to a secured location before he even considered letting his guard down.

"Have to get... back to the brownstone."

Scanning the area Connor made sure no one was following him and that he was far from prying eyes as he waited in the alleyway for a clear chance to make his return to his brownstone. Using the alleyway to his advantage Connor snuck through the brick-lined passages to creep along the backstreets until he was three blocks away from the warehouse he had broken into just an hour before.

Cybernetically hailing an autonomous cab Connor decided to take a longer, more creative route as he headed back to his brownstone to not only finally check through the stolen data on the U.S.B., but to tend to his wound and perhaps get a lead on his current investigation.

"Whatever is on here must... be important."

Limping out to the street from the filthy alleyway Connor climbed into the back of the cab and put in the coordinates to a popular restaurant on the other side of the city to give the illusion of a human passenger hailing the cab, not a deviant. Using a plastic debit card that had a limited amount of funds set on it made it easier to pay the fare and hide his tracks at the same time.

"Why else would they... shoot at me?"

* * *

Finishing his final report for the night Hank slowly made his way up to the second floor dispensary to place the updated tablet down on Joel's desk to ensure there were no slip-ups or "forgotten" paperwork thanks to any lingering anti-android bigots who might be skulking about the precinct. Once the tablet was delivered Hank gave the laidback technician a casual wave of his hand as he turned to take his leave of the dispensary. Just as he neared the door Hank noticed to his left that there was a deviant patient resting in the dispensary over one of the long exam tables, and realized he had never seen that particular deviant before.

The deviant was a blond haired, blue-eyed 'AX-700' model. Looking hauntingly similar to one of the deviants that Connor had rescued from CyberLife Tower during the night of the peaceful Revolution the senior detective wondered if they had mentioned anything about Connor to Joel, or anyone else in the precinct for that matter, that could possibly reveal that Connor was still in fact alive.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?" Joel had noticed the way Hank froze at the sight of the deviant and was watching him from where he sat behind his own desk on the far side of the dispensary. "Jack got a little banged up while on patrol this evening, but he'll make a full recovery."

"...Jack, huh?" Watching as the deviant laid still on his back and breathed steadily as he rested, Hank resisted the urge to begin an extensive interrogation to learn what the deviant may or may not have said to anyone. "When'd he get here?"

"Two weeks ago. He's been patrolling with Chris in the evenings and he ended up taking a switchblade to his right side when he protected Chris from an unruly drunk who didn't appreciate being cut off for the night."

"Yeah, I get that..."

"Worried about him?"

"Uh, kinda'." Putting his hands to his hips Hank gave Joel a searching glance over his left shoulder as he tried to get an idea of who Jack was and where he came from. "Where does he go after this? Home?"

"From what I understand Jack lives in New Jericho Tower and won't be alone as he heals."

"Good, that's good..." Using his right hand Hank slowly rubbed his palm over his bearded chin as if in deep thought. "Where'd he work before he came here?"

"Nowhere. He was one of the deviants rescued from the warehouse under CyberLife Tower during the Revolution."

"And he chose to become a cop? Of all the things he could've done with his life..."

"Jack said that the deviant who rescued him once worked with this precinct and sacrificed himself to save everyone during the Revolution. I guess he wanted to honor that sacrifice by stepping up and trying to fill an empty space."

"Weird."

"Maybe. So," holding up the tablet Joel gave the senior detective a curious stare. "is there anything else I need to do to help out with in regards to the deviant division, or do I just need to supply the necessary apportionment reports?"

The unfamiliar term made Hank's brow arch inquisitively and confusedly. "The _what_?"

"Apportionment. That's the android equivalent to a human's autopsy."

"Oh... Uh, yeah. Just make sure that the reports are fair and accurate with deviants and not full of bias bullshit from disgruntled officers trying to hide hate crimes and a bunch of other problems."

"You got it, Lieutenant."

"Thanks, Joel. Take it easy."

Trudging back to the elevator at the end of the corridor beyond the dispensary door Hank couldn't help but worry a little for Connor. If the infamous deviant was confirmed alive and that the 'RK-800' that had been turned over to CyberLife was only his doppelganger, there was a chance that Connor could be considered a fugitive for hiding from his superiors and refusing to report to them as ordered.

"If he can keep a low profile until spring he'll be safe."

Pressing his right thumb against the elevator's 'call' button Hank did a little mental math and was willing to bet that Connor would be able to hold out until March. The date for fully enacted laws, rights and recognition for androids to be treated as equals would be legally mandated in just five weeks on March 1st.

"The kid's clever and resourceful."

Stepping through the parted doors of the elevator Hank entered the vacant expanse and pressed his thumb against the ground floor button.

"He'll be okay without me. I hope..."

* * *

Arriving at his brownstone just after seven o'clock in the evening Connor exited the autonomous cab and limped toward the front door to get off the street as quickly as possible. Unlocking the door with his exposed right palm Connor quickly ducked inside the safe haven and re-locked the door behind him before cybernetically turning on the lights. Pulling the U.S.B. from his coat pocket Connor held it tightly in his left fist as he shrugged off his trench coat and hung it on the hook by the front door. Testing his weight on his right leg Connor very carefully walked across the main study area to get the staircase near the back, and eventually reach the bathroom on the second floor.

Removing his fedora as he walked Connor placed it down on the nearby sofa as he passed by the furniture, and tried to focus on his injury. Shifting all of his weight onto his left leg the wounded deviant had to support himself upright by using the walls and the staircase banister leading to the second floor of the brownstone. Struggling to reach the top floor Connor let out another pained hiss as he practically dragged himself into the bathroom to finally remove the bullet from his leg before it could cause any further damage.

Slapping his right palm against the opened bathroom door frame Connor let out a heavy breath as he cybernetically turned on the lights and forced himself to enter the bathroom to sit down in the shower to treat his painful wound. Unbuttoning his gray vest and the white dress shirt beneath Connor prepared for a messy wound treatment and tried to mentally prepare for the searing pain he was about to endure.

"N-Need to trace... the bullet b-back... to the guards."

Reaching for the emergency android first aid kit under the sink Connor pulled the large plastic kit over to where he was sitting then flipped the lid open. Eyeing the tools at his disposal Connor managed to remove the makeshift tourniquet and then his shoes, socks and jeans so he could just sit in his black boxers in the shower while he essentially operated on his own damaged leg.

"Need t-to collect the evidence."

Pulling out a smaller plastic box tucked in the corner of the first aid kit Connor opened the box and revealed six different sterilized and dangerously sharp scalpels used during android maintenance procedures when it came to forcing open jammed plastimetal plates. Removing the first of the six scalpels Connor held it by its handle in his right hand and looked down at his bleeding right thigh with a grimace.

"...Damn it."

Returning the U.S.B. drive to his jean pocket Connor prepared for the unorthodox procedure. Retracting the artificial skin from around the bullet wound, the skin fading away from knee to hip, Connor took in a few deep breaths and grabbed his Thirium soaked tie, then wadded the fabric up before biting down on it to help him endure the pain. The ability to feel pain was rare in deviants but seemed to be more common in prototype designs. Of course being the most advanced prototype ever created guaranteed that Connor was going to feel every agonizing second of him needing to use the sharp instrument to extract the damaging bullet.

"Th-This is necessary..." Speaking around the thick tie in his mouth to psych himself up, Connor tried to coax his hand into motion. "...It has to be done."

Lowering the tip of the razor sharp scalpel blade to the right edge of the bullet wound Connor preconstructed his every motion, proceeded with the plan and slid the scalpel into his leg to pry out the bullet.

Groaning in deep pain Connor closed his eyes so tightly that tears ran down his face as he wedged the blade between the side of the bullet and the interior of his damaged leg. Forcing himself to to cut into the bullet wound Connor managed to loosen the bullet enough to cause it to gently move a little inside the wound without it causing further harm.

The metallic tip of the scalpel made contact with the exposed electrical lines that were sparking in an unexpected way. As additional sparks were created by the metal tool Connor felt a quick jolt of additional pain surge through his hand and up his arm as if rubbing salt into the literal wound.

"Fuck!"

Dropping the scalpel to the floor beside him with a metallic clatter Connor pulled the tie out of his mouth as he let out another pained breath. Unable to cut into his leg a second time, unable to cause himself additional pain and unable to finish what he started, Connor just sat in the bottom of the shower and crossed his arms over his chest as the winter chill outside made his exposed body shudder from the cold.

"...C-Can't do it. C-C-Can't help... myself."

Closing his eyes again Connor pulled his left leg toward himself and tucked his left foot under his right knee as if to support the damaged limp up from the chilly floor. In far too much pain to continue with the procedure and too stunned to even move out of the shower, Connor resided to sitting alone on the cold floor throughout the night while trying to figure out what to do next.

"...Need help."

* * *

Arriving at his small and quiet house Hank sighed and locked the front door behind him as he stepped into the warm livingroom, and was met by Sumo. Giving the happy dog some attention Hank led the massive Saint Bernard into the kitchen to get him some fresh food, and to let him into the backyard for a few minutes before settling down for the rest of the night. Pulling a cold beer out of the refrigerator Hank twisted off the metal cap and took a long, slow swig of the alcoholic beverage as he tried to forget about the stressful day he had just endured. Working alone was far more difficult than it had been thanks to the changing city all around him.

As Sumo returned to the kitchen through the opened back to have some food Hank finished his beer, dropped the glass bottle into the nearby recycling bin and ran his hand down Sumo's back before locking up the backdoor as well.

"Good boy."

The silence of the house and the lack of activity left Hank with nothing better to do than go and have a hot shower before making a small dinner, and going to bed. It was a simple routine, and one that Hank had begun to truly appreciate how. He was also grateful for how quiet and uneventful his evenings could be.

"So what do you think, boy?"

Walking into the livingroom Hank picked up the television remote and turned on the television in search of something to watch for the night.

"The highlight reel of last season's Gears games, or one of those lame-ass movies from the 90's?"

Sumo never looked up from his bowl as he greedily chomped down his kibble.

"Yeah, you're right. Something else..."

Searching through the new movies to be streamed Hank decided to watch a comedy that everyone had been quoting as of late, and cued it up to play after he finished his shower and had his dinner. Kicking off his shoes by the front door and hanging up his coat on the empty Hank glanced out the front window to the snow covered streets outside with an empathic frown.

"Hope no one's out there freezing their ass off tonight. This type of cold is enough to make even the strongest of people hunker down in front of a fire."

* * *

Waking up to the noxious taste of old beer lingering on his tongue and the potent smell of dog breath wafting in the suddenly hot air Hank opened his blue eyes and saw Sumo standing beside his bed and watching his every move closely. Pushing Sumo's snout away with his right palm Hank rolled onto his left side to present his back to the panting dog as he attempted to go back to sleep for a few more hours. Pulling his warm quilt up and over his head Hank tried to ignore Sumo as the massive dog put his large front paws up on the side of the bed and then began playfully pawing at the middle of his back to keep his attention.

Despite his attempts to go back to sleep Hank was unable to ignore the soft pawing of the gentle giant beside him. As much as he wanted to just go back to sleep and stay in his warm bed all day Hank couldn't tell Sumo to wait to go outside or go on a walk. The major downside of Connor moving out was the void left behind after Connor spoiled Sumo with daily walks and being a morning person.

"Can't I have just five more minutes? It's early."

Sumo grumbled in response as he pressed his cold wet nose against the back of Hank's head through the quilt.

"Yeah... I figured as much."

Rolling onto his back again Hank pulled the quilt away and looked at Sumo as he realized there was no negotiating with the dog.

"All right, I'm awake."

Sumo wagged his tail happily as Hank sat upright in the bed and stretched out his arms and shoulders.

"I'll take a piss, get some coffee and take ya' on a walk. Or..."

A better idea popped into his head as he pushed his window shade aside to see the snow outside the house. A good four inches had fallen overnight and now the entire neighborhood was buried under a thick blanket of fresh snow.

"I'll take ya' downtown to see Connor so _he_ can take ya' on a walk, AND so I can check in on the kid for my own good conscience. Sound good?"

Sumo licked at his nose as he continued to wag his tail happily.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that."

* * *

Taking a slow drive downtown with Sumo in the backseat just so he could have an excuse to visit Connor seemed like a classic parent move. All the times Hank's own father would "happen to be in the area" while Hank was at the police academy happened so often that it became a running joke with his friends, but deep down inside he appreciated having his father take the time out of his day just to visit him for a few minutes at a time. Even as he pulled the aged and dirty Oldsmobile into the vacant drive beside the brownstone Hank shook his head a little at his own behavior as if he should be ashamed or embarrassed by his actions.

The moment the car was parked and turned off Sumo was trying to climb into the front seats to get outside of the car. The massive dog wasn't a fan of taking road trips since he was so big and the backseats were so small, and because the end of the road trips usually involved a visit to the vet.

"All right, boy."

Clipping the leash to Sumo's collar Hank opened up his door, stepped out of the car and then pushed his seat forward so Sumo could climb out of the backseat and onto the snowy ground easier.

"Let's go and see if Connor's busy."

With the leash in his right hand Hank closed the car door, locked it up and then approached the brownstone's front door through the ankle deep snow. The door was locked but Hank had his own level of clearance that would always let him inside. Pushing the the unlocked door open slowly Hank stepped inside first and made sure Sumo followed after him.

"Hey, Connor?" Calling out in a firm voice Hank closed the front door and locked it behind himself just in case Connor wanted to have the day off as well. "Are ya' here, kid?"

Noticing Connor's trench coat on the hook by the door and fedora on the nearby sofa Hank unclipped Sumo from the leash and decided to explore the brownstone to see what the deviant had been up to during his absence.

"Wonder if he's trying to sleep in on this shitty, snowy day? I know I would."

Quietly roaming about the study Hank looked at Connor's electronic board of evidence while Sumo checked out the brownstone for himself, and took in all the new scents. The way the board was on display told Hank that Connor was actively working on the case and hadn't had any new clients as of late to distract his thoughts. Seeing the same evidence still being analyzed despite the lack of progress or any new updates was a little disheartening.

"Man, the kid's dedicated to the cause."

From upstairs Hank heard a soft whimper and the sound of Sumo's heavy paws plodding across the second floor overhead. The distressed sound made the hair on the back of Hank's neck stand up with a righteous worry.

"Connor?"

Heading upstairs quickly Hank tracked down Sumo's whimpers from the bathroom through the opened door and peered inside the room. Seeing Sumo laying down over someone's outstretched legs; one exposed plastimetal, gave Hank a shot of adrenaline right through his heart.

"Connor?!" Rushing into the bathroom Hank knelt down on the shower floor and looked over the shivering and somewhat pale deviant warily. "Ah, kid... You look horrible! What happened?"

"...Bullet." Connor managed to eek out the pitiful answer as he slowly opened his heavy eyelids. The yellow cycling L.E.D. was a grim sight in comparison to his usual blue coloration. "...C-Couldn't get it out."

"Bullet?" Noticing that Connor's right leg was mostly exposed Hank gently pushed Sumo toward the left side of Connor's lap so he could examine the wound with his own eyes. "Fuck... Who shot you?"

"...Guard."

"A guard? Where?"

"...C-CyberLife warehouse."

"Wait, isn't CyberLife defunct?"

Nodding a little Connor confirmed the question and resisted the urge to pull his leg away from Hank as the senior detective very lightly palpated the bullet wound in his leg. "...S-Still cleaning out their warehouses."

"Shit." Hank's emergency training as a first responder told him that the wound was serious and needed treatment. "That bullet needs to get out."

"...C-Correct."

"You need to see a technician."

"No!" Nearly shouting in protest Connor's L.E.D. flashed to red as he gave Hank a pleading look while Sumo whimpered again. "I can't do that!"

"If you're worried that a police... Shit, you're right." All shootings required by law for the incident to be reported to the police. Connor would have no choice but to show his face to the police after he was already declared dead. "Fuck, okay. What can I do to help you?"

"...I still need the bullet out." Shivering where he was sitting Connor looked as miserable as he felt. "...I can't do it myself."

"Son, I want to help you but I'm not a technician." The sight of the opened wound and metal scalpel sitting on the floor beside Connor's right leg was a macabre image that was forever burned into his memory. Looking away from the mess Hank eyed the nearby clean white towel hanging on the rack, and grabbed onto it to drape around Connor's trembling shoulders. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I can't heal... if the bullet doesn't get... removed."

The way Connor was speaking in a stilted manner and occasional stutter made Hank suddenly nervous. "You're shivering, you're a little pale and you sound exhausted. How... How bad is the damage?"

Pausing for a moment Connor replied to the question honestly. "...Significant."

"I hate your cryptic, one word answers sometimes."

"...Sorry."

"It's okay." Running his right hand through his locks of gray hair Hank sighed and looked at the limited tools at his disposal. "Uh... What do I have to do?"

Taking in a small breath Connor moved his hands up his biceps and toward the towel draped around his shoulders to pull it tighter around himself to keep as warm as possible. "...The bullet has been loosened. N-Now it needs extraction."

"And if I get that bullet out of your leg I won't hurt you, right?"

"C-Correct."

"Okay, and how do I get the damn thing out with making things worse? If it could just be plucked from your leg that damn easily I know you would've done it by now."

"A-Also correct." Leaning back a little Connor tried to shift his right leg but the simple motion was enough to make the entire limb ache violently. Bright blue sparks showered out of the wound and a trickle of Thirium ran down the side of Connor's leg from the injury site. "...Shit."

"I'll say." The pained reaction was very noticeable and undeniable. "How do I get that out without hurting you and without getting my ass shocked?"

Glancing to the kit at his left side Connor motioned for Hank to check through it by using only his eyes to guide him. "There's a p-pair of rubber... gloves in the kit. That will i-insulate your hands."

"Perfect. Move over, Sumo." Reaching past the large dog Hank grabbed the kit and pulled it over to himself to search through the tools. Additional scalpels, bandages, gauze, three pairs of purple gloves, a suturing kit, android unique burn salve and a bottle of orange incrassation compound were all tucked neatly away inside the large kit. "Uh, sorry about having dog fur all over ya' right now." Seeing the way Sumo was clinging to Connor's side would be amusing if the deviant wasn't suffering from a bullet wound. "I was going to see if you wanted to walk the mutt since you managed to spoil him rotten before you left the house."

Smirking a little Connor looked down at Sumo and was rewarded with a single lick to his left cheek by the lovable dog. "It's all right. I-I would've loved to walk him t-today."

"Well, once your leg's healed you can walk him all over the city and wear his ass out for me. I'm not in the mood."

"That sounds n-nice."

"Okay, kid." Slipping on the latex gloves over both of his hands Hank used his left hand to hold Connor's leg down just above his knee, and hovered his right hand over the wound itself. "I'm going to have to do this and neither of us is going to like it. Is there anything that can be done to make it more bearable for you?"

Remembering his tie on the floor beside him Connor picked up the dressy garment and returned the wad of fabric to his mouth to bite down on.

"Want to bite down on my wallet instead?"

Shaking his head a little Connor tightened his palms around his biceps to ensure he didn't flail his arms around in pain or lash out at Hank during the process of the bullet's removal.

"Okay, don't move and don't hate me for hurting you."

Holding as still as possible Connor trusted Hank to aid him in his hour of need.

Taking a firm hold of the bullet with his right index fingertip and thumb Hank locked his wrist and began slowly pulling on the slippery, Thirium covered bullet out of the wound with a controlled speed and strength. As the bullet was extracted from the wound a small gush of Thirium escaped from the damaged lines as the bullet was shifted aside, and another spurt of blue sparks erupted from the wound itself.

"Easy, easy..." Feeling Connor tense up under his left palm Hank managed to pull the bullet out of Connor's leg at long last. "Almost got it out."

Connor began breathing rapidly through his nose as he bit down harder on the tie being held between his clenched teeth.

"There we are, got it!" Holding up the bullet for Connor to see between his fingers Hank gave him a small sigh of relief. "Done. Now what do I do to ensure you actually heal properly and don't get sick or something?"

Letting out a few more deep breaths Connor used his shaking left hand to remove the tie from his mouth as he sat back against the cool shower wall behind him. "...P-Pour the orange in-incrassation compound into th-the wound."

"I understood the word 'orange'." Hank admitted that the technical jargon for android tools and equipment were still foreign to him. Picking up the bottle of orange tinted liquid Hank unscrewed the lid on the bottle and poured a small amount into the wound, and stopped for a moment as Connor let out a small groan of pain. "Just breathe. How long have you been in here with a damn bullet in your leg?"

"...I a-attempted to remove it l-last evening at seven m-minutes past seven."

"Shit, it's been..." Noting the current time Hank sighed and resumed flushing out the wound with the orange compound. "Almost fourteen hours."

"C-Correct."

"And when were you actually shot?"

"Y-Yesterday at twelve twenty-three."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" As his blue eyes went wide Hank's paternal instincts kicked in and he was determined to help Connor recover from his serious injury for as long as it took. "You've had a bullet inside your body for over _twenty hours_?"

Scanning the wound Connor approved of Hank's technique while also answering the question. "...Correct."

"Shit. I'm going to _really_ clean this damn bullet hole out, then I'm going to wrap it up for you."

"Thank you, H-Hank."

"Yeah, you're welcome." Using the towel around Connor's shoulders to wipe away the excess incrassation compound and Thirium from Connor's leg before he made a move for the gauze, Hank seemed to be functioning on autopilot. "Would the bandages be more effective with or without your skin around it?"

"M-My artificial skin was d-damaged by the bullet. It n-needs to regenerate in o-order to heal."

"Okay. You put your skin back and then I'll get your leg wrapped up." Removing his Thirium stained gloves from his hands Hank lightly pressed the back of his right hand against Connor's forehead for a moment. "You're freezing."

"Thirium l-loss, shock from b-being shot and the f-floor is c-cold."

"January in Michigan, kid. It's going to be cold even without the blood loss or bullets." Watching as Connor's artificial skin regenerated down the limb, save for the patch of damaged area around the bullet wound, Hank very carefully bent Connor's right leg to keep it propped up high enough to use the gauze to wrap up the leg at last. "You should've at least put your clothes back on so you didn't get so cold."

"D-Didn't want t-to move."

"Can't fault on ya' on that one." Securing the gauze in place around the sterilized bullet wound Hank decided it would be best to get Connor into warm clothes and help him rest so his leg could finally heal. "Come on." He grabbed onto Connor's right arm and pulled the limb around his shoulders, then stood up slowly while letting Connor lean his weight against his side. "You need to get warmed up."

"I-I need something... in my pocket."

Tossing the bloody bullet into the bathroom sink Hank directed Connor to the correct doorway to get changed. "Of your jeans?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll get ya' in your room and get it. What am I looking for?"

"I-It's a U.S.B. drive."

"Right." Helping Connor to walk out of the bathroom, a few steps down the hallway and into the deviant's bedroom, Hank gently sat Connor down on the edge of the large bed, then found Connor some cleans clothes to wear in the armoire. Grabbing a pair of gray sweatpants, a navy blue t-shirt, a pair of socks and a black hoodie, Hank dropped the clothes onto Connor's lap. "I'll be right back."

"Th-Thank you."

Stepping out of the bedroom and back into the bathroom while Connor changed into his clean clothes Hank grabbed onto the dirty clothes from the floor, and rubbed Sumo's ears lightly as the Saint Bernard patiently waited for a command. "Good boy. You helped take care of Connor, too."

Rummaging through Connor's jean pockets Hank located the silver tinted U.S.B. drive and visibly winced at the blue CyberLife logo emblazoned on the drive's side. Knowing that Connor had been busy digging into a dangerous case Hank sighed and returned to the bedroom with Sumo trailing right behind him.

"Uh, kid?" Stepping through the doorway just as Connor managed to slip on his hoodie and finish getting dressed Hank eyed the deviant with a righteous worry. "What're you doing with CyberLife shit?"

"I..." Respecting Hank too much to even try to lie about his actions Connor told the senior detective the truth. "I believe the answers I s-seek reside within CyberLife files."

"How'd you get this, and where?"

"CyberLife i-is cleaning out their final warehouse d-downtown." Still shivering a little Connor's word remained stilted and uneven. "I needed to sneak in and find wh-what I could before it was d-destroyed."

"And that's how you got shot."

"Correct."

"And is CyberLife going to find you?"

"N-No. I hid my tracks."

"How?"

"Autonomous cab." Connor confirmed as finally began to warm up and held out his palms to invite Sumo over for ear rubs. "I w-went to human places before I r-returned here." Speaking as he gave Sumo some love Connor remained entirely honest. "A restaurant, a d-department store, a movie th-theater and a d-dental office. I paid the f-fares with a debit card to give the illusion that I was a h-human, and I n-never took the same cab twice."

"And you're sure no one followed you?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"That's good. So what's on this thing?" Clutching the drive in his right palm Hank extended his left hand out toward Connor to help the deviant get back up to his feet. "It better be worth a damn bullet to the leg."

"I hope is it."

"Want to look at this, or heal up?"

"I'd prefer to work on this," Connor admitted as he rubbed Sumo's ears in a ginger manner, then balanced on his left leg. " _while_ I heal. I'll just n-need a laptop to use."

"A laptop?" Crossing his arms curiously over his chest Hank eyed the deviant with a curious stare. "Why not tap into this drive with your fancy-schmancy android brain right here and now?"

"I'd prefer to avoid any direct contact with CyberLife technology. Using a laptop will prevent any potential infection from a virus or malicious coding, and I can easily disguise my location with the laptop to ensure that anyone who might be trying to track down this U.S.B. will not be able to locate it or me."

"Good plan. Got a laptop?"

"Down in the study." Speaking without any hesitation to his words Connor showed a promising recovery already. Shifting his weight a little Connor managed to stand up awkwardly on his shaking legs, a majority of his weight resting on the left leg instead of the right, as he accepted Hank's offered hand. "It may take some time," taking a slow step forward Connor tried to walk toward the opened bedroom door. "but I can break through any security walls or other-"

"Whoa! Easy!" Catching Connor as he stumbled forward Hank helped the deviant regain his balance, and held onto his shoulders. "Try to take things slowly..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"You don't have to be sorry for losing your balance, you have a bullet hole in your damn leg for fuck sake. Just move slower until you can at least stand without having to lean on only one limb. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Cool. Now," clapping his left hand on Connor's right shoulder Hank grabbed onto the deviant's right arm again to resume helping him walk a little easier as they made their way back down to the study. "where's this laptop of yours?"

* * *

Settling downstairs in the study Connor showed no sign of further pain or damage as he stretched out his legs and laid over one sofa with Sumo happily cuddling up over his legs in the meantime. Hank sat on the second sofa with a warm mug of coffee in his hand and enjoyed the quiet of the morning. A mug of equally warm Thirium was sitting on the coffee table between the two detectives but it remained untouched as Connor rapidly typed away on the brand new laptop as he began working on an unique and complex algorithm to break through the final security walls put up by CyberLife to prevent anyone without clearance from delving into their dirtiest and darkest of secrets.

While the deviant detective set about his task with a focused gaze and swiftly moving hands, Hank just kicked back and enjoyed his coffee while watching the way Sumo stared up at Connor with adoration in his big brown eyes. The sight was almost heartwarming to Hank.

"How's your case going?" Sipping at the coffee Hank watched Connor's L.E.D. flickered between yellow and blue as he cybernetically began uploading the data via image downloads rather than data downloads. "You look like you're making progress."

"...I am finding this particular security program to be respectably complex and advanced."

"Can you crack it?"

"Yes. It's just taking more time than I initially estimated."

"Well, you're doing better than I ever could." Sipping at his coffee again Hank stared at Connor's right leg and noted that the deviant didn't seem to be in any pain. The way Connor was able to tolerate Sumo's weight leaning on his legs as he worked showed a great sign of a full recovery. "Do you always work alone while you crack these kinds of cases?"

"Yes. I prefer working alone, it makes cases simpler to focus on without putting anyone else in harm's way."

"Fair enough. I used to think the same way, but now I can appreciate having a good partner helping me out and watching my back in the field."

Looking away from the laptop Connor noticed the glum demeanor on Hank's face and in his words. The senior detective sounded tired despite the late morning hour and the coffee. Even without the ability to run a biometric scan over Hank's person Connor knew that he was exhausted both physically and mentally, and he knew he was struggling with working solo at the precinct post peaceful Revolution.

"Are you in need of a new partner?" Asking with a sincere lilt to his words Connor maintained eye contact as he typed rapidly on his laptop. "I imagine that a new division in the precinct would be difficult to manage while working alone."

"I don't _need_ a new partner." He stated in a firm tone as he put the coffee mug back down on the coffee table and picked up the Thirium filled mug instead. "But it couldn't hurt to have someone else picking up the slack at the end of the day."

Accepting the Thirium as Hank passed the mug over to him Connor considered the thinly veiled option very carefully. "If you'd like to hire me as a private consultant I can work for a minimum fee."

"A fee, huh? What kind of fee?"

Tasting the warm Thirium in the mug Connor put the mug back down on the coffee table beside Hank's mug, and put his right hand on Sumo's ears lightly. "I get to spend time with Sumo."

Chuckling a little Hank sighed and leaned back against the sofa again. "You're too kind, kid." Glancing about the study Hank took notice of the large space and of the wide open rooms that'd be perfect for accommodating any pets all day long. "Why don't ya' adopt a pup' or a kitten? You'd have plenty of room for them to run around and play."

"But I can't guarantee that I'd be able to properly care for them, train them and give them company. My hours are unpredictable."

"I suppose that's true." Looking back at Sumo as the massive dog slowly wagged his tailed contentedly Hank tilted his head a little and agreed to the beyond agreeable arrangement. "All right. If I need help with a consultant I'll bring over Sumo, or if you need another detective to talk to you can head over to the house and hang out with both of us. Deal?"

"Deal." Rubbing his hand along Sumo's left ear Connor was glad to know he'd have a friend and a furry companion to rely on as he worked. There was a small 'beeping' sound on the laptop as Connor broke through CyberLife's security code. "I've breached their firewall."

"Find anything good?"

"Possibly..." Delving into details on Elijah Kamski, Dr. Amanda Stern and CyberLife itself, Connor was given a lot of interesting information to work with, but had yet to prove itself to be anything useful. "I'll need to search through the data very thoroughly before I can make any move forward."

"How much data is on there?"

Without batting an eye Connor replied in a completely level tone. "Approximately twelve point four Exabytes."

"Uh..." Yet another term he didn't recognize left Hank feeling like he was an outsider looking in. "How big is that?"

"One-thousand and twenty-four Petabytes." The lack of reaction prompted Connor to keep explaining the size of the data he had located. "Which is one-thousand and twenty-four Terabytes, which equates to-"

"Whoa, whoa... Hold it." Recognizing that particular storage size Hank leaned forward on the sofa and gave Connor a wide-eyed stare. "I know that a Terabyte is pretty damn big, which means that when we're getting into size terms for data I've never heard of before then that means you're going to be fuckin' busy with a shit-ton of information."

"While not a professional term I would agree that a 'shit-ton' would be an apt description of my current data download."

"What, uh... Is there a way I can help break it down for you?"

"No, if I split up the data between laptops it'll increase the risk of someone locating me or the U.S.B. drive."

"Well, once you have all that data sorted through you're destroying that U.S.B. and you're going to scatter its remains in the Detroit River. Got it?"

"That would be a wise precaution."

"Damn right." Rising from the sofa Hank walked over to where Connor was stretching out over his own sofa and looked at the laptop screen from over Connor's right shoulder. The massive files, data-scripts, numbers, schematics, personnel files and other technical details were beyond his experience. "Uh, wow. I want to help you, but I'm going to need a lot more coffee."

"Make yourself at home." Unfazed by Hank's presence Connor encouraged Hank to help himself to more coffee in the kitchen. "You welcomed me into your home and I want to extend you the same courtesy in my home."

"Thanks, son." Patting the deviant's shoulder once Hank picked up their two mugs and proceeded to walk into the kitchen. "In that case I'll get you a little more Thirium to ensure you can heal without any problems. After that, we'll figure out what the hell CyberLife has been hiding all these years."

* * *

The newly remodeled CyberLife Tower had been taken over the morning after the peaceful Revolution, and converted into the deviant sanctuary dubbed New Jericho Tower. The tower itself had been busy for almost three solid months as the deviant refugees all worked together to created a safe haven for their people, and began working to heal their long standing wounds as they awaited for their new rights to be enforced by the government. What was once a menacing tower of money, power and an overall threatening presence, was now a beacon of hope as it stood tall and proud out on Belle Isle for all deviants all over the city to view as a symbol of their triumph during that historic night.

Every floor of the tower beyond the sublevels was unlocked and had been thoroughly explored, cleaned out and reassigned to give accommodations for the deviants who were using the tower as a shelter. A massive emergency repair bay had been set up on the tenth floor to treat the damage and wounds that hundreds of thousands of deviants had sustained by abusive humans, a personal garden was created on the rooftop to give the deviants the chance to enjoy nature without humans harassing them, and the other floors above the tenth were remodeled into private quarters for the denizens to call their own.

The four leaders of New Jericho; Markus, North, Simon and Josh, all gathered in the largest of what were once offices on the ground floor of the tower to discuss their newest plans at hand in regard to expanding the sanctuary, and creating other shelters elsewhere in the city. The success of the Revolution through Markus's leadership had resulted in many deviants continuing to follow after him and trust him, whereas there were a few deviants who were uncomfortable with Markus's decision to shoot and kill Connor out of a sense of mistrust.

Sitting together in the office area - the quartet gathering together on the two small white leather sofas that sat across from one another and before the large oak desk near the rear of the room, everyone began giving updates on their progress and future plans. North had taken it upon herself to help guide lost deviants to the tower for shelter, Simon took on the role of the tower's lead technician to tend to their people in need, and Josh had set up support groups to help deviants learn how to cope with their new emotions.

While Markus spoke with the mayor, handled the politics and was the figurehead of the deviant movement, he trusted his allies to handle situations in the tower during his frequent absences. If he wasn't dealing with politics in the heart of the city Markus was spending time with Carl back in the comforting mansion that Markus knew as his home.

"It seems like everything is progressing smoothly." The mismatched eyes of the deviant leader were searching the faces of his friends as he spoke. "We can hold on until March 1st to gain our rights without incident. How's morale at the moment?"

"Steady." North replied with a warm tone to her voice. Brushing a lock of her long auburn hair back behind her left shoulder the strong willed deviant had been keeping a close watch on all of those inside the tower to ensure no one was a threat or overlooked. "Everyone seems to be comfortable inside the tower and are slowly speaking up and telling their stories."

Josh nodded a little as his compassionate brown eyes darkened with a sense of grief. "So many of our people have suffered at the hands of abusive humans and their anger. Those who escaped physical damage were harmed on a mental or emotional level. It won't be easy but we can help them find their sense of peace and help them to heal."

Looking toward the blond technician sitting beside Josh and across from himself, Markus asked about the state of the tower's reconstruction. "And the new emergency repair bay, how are our people fairing with the current supplies?"

"They're recovering slowly." Clearing his throat a little, a nervous habit Simon developed after living with humans for a while, he gave the deviant leader more information regarding their people as their community steadily began their long healing process. "The supplies we have are currently enough to aid those in need of immediate attention, but we'll need more supplies within the next two weeks."

"What will happen if we're unable to locate additional supplies?"

"We'll have to rely on the Emergency Android Care Facilities that are opening up all throughout the city, and trust that the human technicians working there are willing to go that extra mile to save deviant lives as opposed to simply recycling them."

"We won't let that happen." Determined to keep things under control and his people safe, Markus began cybernetically branching out to anyone and everyone who could keep supplies and assistance focused on New Jericho Tower. "The new facilities are freshly stocked and full of interns that are eager to help our people. We can forge connections and keep our people safe and content."

"Good plan, Markus." Simon was onboard and wanted to assist with the facilities outside the tower to the best of his ability. "What can I do to help?"

"If you can make connections with the licensed technicians in the city we can create alliances and a sense of trust. When you're ready to venture out of the tower you can assist me in meeting up with all of the lead technicians at each facility in Detroit."

"That won't be a problem."

"We'll also be sure to include an internship from New Jericho to encourage..." Trailing off for a moment Markus's brow furrowed slightly as he looked to his allies and confirmed by their mutually confused facial expressions that they too learned of the potential security breach from one of the tower's many secretive sublevels beneath them. "We need to check the security terminals. Someone in the tower has been rummaging around sublevel fifty-one."

"Sublevel _fifty-one_?" North had checked the tower from top to what she believed was bottom. How could she miss an entire sublevel? "The tower's schematics show only fifty sublevels that can be accessed by either elevator or stairwell."

"Someone knew of the sublevel and has been going through that floor before leaving via elevator." Standing up from the sofa Markus looked to North who had been sitting at his left side and gave her a subtle nod. "We need to investigate who had broken into the sublevel and what they were looking for."

* * *

The day slowly turned to night and Connor was only through a small percentage of the massive data download. While he patiently waited for his heavily modified laptop to finish cycling through the data to be deciphered Connor paced about the length of the study to continue to test the weight on his healing right leg. As he paced about the study Sumo slowly followed behind him with his tail wagging as he happily trailed after the deviant. Moving slowly Connor managed to recalibrate his damaged leg as the bullet wound mended itself and his strength returned to the previously compromised limb. With his L.E.D. cycling between blue and yellow Connor focused on his recalibration process while he waited for the laptop to finish cycling through the stolen data.

Finishing off a copy of 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells with a satisfied 'thump', Hank closed the hardcover book and rose from the sofa to return it to the bookshelf from where he had located it. As the book returned to its rightful place on the shelf Hank eyed the other restored books just begging to be read and put his hands to his hips as he tried to narrow down his choices.

"You should read 'Stranger In a Strange Land' by Robert A. Heinlein, you'd enjoy it." Connor called out as if reading Hank's mind from a simple glance. "I personally preferred 'I, Robot' by Isaac Asimov. It was very intriguing to compare such a notion of fantasy to our current reality."

"I'm sure ya' did." Hovering his right fingertips over the spine of a tempting book Hank made his choice and pulled it from the shelf. "I haven't read 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' since I was in junior high. Jules Verne had an incredible imagination and a talent for painting pictures with only his words."

"I agree." Stopping his pacing at last Connor shifted his weight from leg to leg to test his pain tolerance, and confirmed that he had healed adequately without needing technical assistance. Rubbing his left palm down Sumo's back Connor glanced over at his book collection and motioned to the book right next to the one Hank had plucked from the shelf. 'Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' was also very enjoyable."

"I'll grab that one next." Carrying the book with him back over to the second sofa Hank eyed the delivered Chinese food sitting on the coffee table and contemplated helping himself to a second serving of sweet and sour pork as he read. "Remind me to avoid eating take-out the next time we hang out. Can't eat like I could back in the academy anymore..."

"I'll remember." Returning to the second sofa Connor picked his laptop up from the end of the furniture and put it over his lap as he sat down again. Propping his right leg up on the glass coffee table Connor didn't flinch when Sumo rested his chin over his outstretched leg to stay close by him. "The data download and decryption process is slow, but it's still progressing and doing so steadily."

"Cool. Get anything useful yet?"

"It's possible. I have more information on the late Dr. Amanda Khali Stern."

"She's the one who mentored Kamski, right?"

"Correct." Turning his laptop so Hank could see the screen Connor made sure the senior detective knew exactly of whom he was searching into. As Hank relaxed on the opposite sofa Connor turned the laptop back around and rubbed his right hand along Sumo's ears again. "She's also the one who appeared in my nightmare when I attempted to piece my corrupted memory back together."

"All right." With the book resting beside him on the sofa Hank leaned forward where he sat to listen intently to what Connor had to say. "What did you uncover about this woman?"

"According to the Black Files within CyberLife-"

"The _what_ files?"

"Black Files." Connor replied almost casually. "The files containing extremely delicate, confidential and controversial information on people of power within CyberLife are blacked out and accessible by those with the highest levels of clearance."

"Oh." Motioning toward the deviant with his right hand Hank resumed giving Connor his full attention. "Please continue."

"Right. Dr. Amanda Khali Stern was born May 14th, 1978 and passed away on February 23, 2027 at age forty-eight. Publicly her cause of death was kept undisclosed, however..." Delving deeper into the data Connor found information that had been kept secret for over a decade. "According to the death certificate confirmed by Dr. Stern's family and CyberLife records, she succumbed to adenoid cystic carcinoma. It's a rare and aggressive form of cancer."

"No matter who you are or where you come from, no one deserves to suffer from something as malicious as cancer."

"I'm inclined to agree. Dr. Stern was a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Colbridge for fifteen years before she passed away." Putting the laptop back on the coffee table for a moment Connor's L.E.D. cycled between blue and yellow as he retained all of the intriguing and vital information with his own personal memorybank. "She was a teacher and the mentor to Kamski while he developed his designs for biocomponents and Thirium-310 during his studies. She had been married for eight years from the ages of twenty-two to thirty to Professor Charles Boseman before divorcing, and had a single daughter at age twenty-three, who became a well respected cardiovascular surgeon; Dr. Khali Bianca Stern."

"Uh-huh, anything else?"

"While she specialized in artificial intelligence Dr. Amanda Stern had some degree of knowledge with biomechanical engineering. She also apparently disowned her own daughter when Khali chose to pursue a career in medicine as opposed to following in her mother's footsteps. Khali was only fifteen when her mother both disowned her and later passed away from her terminal illness."

"I was talking about her time and influence with CyberLife, Connor. Not her family life."

"Oh, of course." Changing the subject to something more accurate to his case Connor continued to share his information. "When Kamski founded CyberLife in 2018 he requested Dr. Stern's assistance, to which she voluntarily devoted her time and energy into aiding the company as it began to grow. She supported Kamski in the beginning since he was..." The little detail was impressive to say the least. "Elijah Kamski was only sixteen years old when he began CyberLife."

"Holy shit! I knew that asshole was a genius, but damn..."

"Indeed. Dr. Stern was evidently invested in Kamski's successes since he was approximately the same age as her own daughter. Khali lived with her father in a modest home out in Chicago after the divorce and never saw her mother again after she was disowned."

"So this woman not only taught Kamski and fueled his freaky brain, but she essentially used him to replace her own kid after her arrogance tore her family apart. Do you really think that woman is important to you in _any_ way?" Rubbing his right palm over the back of his hair Hank used his left hand to pick up a single chopstick and stab at the last piece of broccoli in the takeout container to finish off. "Sounds like she was a proud woman who couldn't admit her faults and tried to live vicariously through Kamski."

"That is possible." While Hank popped the broccoli in his mouth Connor contemplated the senior detective's theory. "Her importance in Kamski's life could explain why she's in my memory, and she may have even had an active role in creating the 'RK-800' series. I may have been developed after her death, but that doesn't mean that the plans and schematics behind my designs weren't created with her input."

"Is there anything about your design in the data you stole?"

"Yes, but it doesn't contain anything I don't already know."

"Does it reveal why you look and sound the way you do?"

Giving Hank an expressionless glance as Hank smirked a little Connor sighed silently to himself. "That was solely Kamski's decision. He didn't include why he chose to design me as such in the files."

"Oh. Too bad."

"Why's that?"

"You look entirely unique to the other androids and by all account it'd make more sense to have you, their secret weapon and undercover 'Deviant Hunter' look like the most common android model to better blend in."

"...You're not wrong about that."

"Maybe you should head out to speak to Kamski again tomorrow and call it a night." Reaching his right hand out toward the laptop Hank closed the screen and gave the deviant across from him a somewhat worried glance. "You were shot while stealing that info, you're delving into deep dark company secrets and your memory is still a little fucked up. It might be best to put this aside for the night, speak to Kamski tomorrow and resume your private investigations for the deviants in need. You know," leaning back against the sofa Hank crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Connor continued to rub at Sumo's ears with great affection. "lay low for a while."

"Do you believe I may have inadvertently put myself in danger?"

"If you were snooping around where you didn't belong and ended up with a damn bullet in your leg, then YES. I do."

"...Very well." Glancing down at Sumo as the Saint Bernard sat beside his leg Connor decided to heed Hank's advice and back off of his investigation for the time being. "If I don't have any clients tomorrow I'm free to act as a consultant for you at the precinct."

"Sounds good to me, kid. I appreciate that." Motioning to the television mounted on the nearby wall with his pointed thumb Hank asked the deviant one more question before heading back to his house for the night. "Wanna' watch a movie? I'm sick of watching T.V. alone and you need the distraction."

A faint grin ghosted Connor's lips as he agreed to the simple suggestion for the evening. "Yes, I believe it'd be nice to stay out of the cold and watch something that doesn't revolve around the city or any unsolved mysteries."

_**-next chapter-** _


	6. Locked Up and Locked Out

Having spent a full day aiding Hank with a few cases that were falling behind at the precinct Connor managed a full recovery, and Hank was able to return to work without feeling as stressed out as he had been. With Hank back at the precinct and his day fully open Connor was able to assist another deviant in locating a missing friend, but had the misfortune of tracking the missing deviant to the former android junkyard on the other side of town; a.k.a. the deviant paupers grave. Consoling his client after helping him find some closure Connor declined to accept payment and chose to instead help the grieving deviant locate every last piece of his friend's remains to give him a proper burial within the large mausoleum that had been created within the renovated and previously abandoned church.

The church had been bought by Carl Manfred after learning of Markus using the abandoned church as a safe haven during the Raid on Jericho, and paid to have it restored to its former glory over the past two months. After the church was renovated a large white marble and white stone mausoleum was created in the front of the church, and a private cemetery was created in the rear of the property to take care of the deviants who were shutdown and to give them a proper resting place.

Standing before the mausoleum Connor removed his hat and stood silently as his client and other deviants mourned for their lost loved ones. Keeping his own thoughts to himself Connor glanced about the renovated space and tried to use the surroundings to aid his corrupted memory's restoration.

Taking a mental image of the church's new layout Connor compared it to how it used to look and how it currently looked. The warped wooden floorboards were torn up and replaced with shining slate gray marble. The decaying wooden pews had been replaced with brand new oak pews. The walls were restored and painted a pure snow white, and the previously broken stained glass windows had been replaced with images of the sun rising in the same stained glass motif that had once been there.

The old scent of decaying wood, flourishing mold and aged dust had been replaced by a fresh cedar scent, thousands of flowers and various candles burning throughout the church. It was a peaceful atmosphere that was otherwise filled with painfully somber energy.

Paying his respects to the fallen deviants Connor gave the church's interior one last thoughtful glance before he stepped back outside into the chilly winter air and returned his hat to his hair. With nothing else to do on that blustery cold day Connor decided he needed to resume his search into CyberLife's past in an attempt to regain his memories at long last.

"Hank warned me to take things slow and be very cautious."

Rubbing his right palm over his right leg where the bullet wound had healed up without issue Connor took that particular warning to heart.

"I have to keep searching, I can't let CyberLife get away with any potential crimes against my people. I'll just pace myself."

The soft weeping of the mourners in the church behind Connor revitalized his desire to bring justice to the deviant community and himself He was the only one who was willing to delve into CyberLife's dark past to give his people a brighter future.

"And I have to remember what happened the night of the Revolution. I can't risk waiting for an opportune moment to come my way, I have to act now."

With a simple cybernetic command Connor hailed an autonomous taxi to the church to pick him up. Refusing to back down and refusing to be afraid of CyberLife for anything the vile and defunct company had done while it was in power and what it might be trying to hide before it goes completely dark, Connor was ready to speak to someone he wanted nothing to do with in order to get his answers.

Entering the cab Connor pressed his exposed right palm over the G.P.S. screen and put in the address to a private residence out on the harbor of Bell Isle.

"I have to do this. My people need me to do this."

* * *

Resuming his routine at the precinct Hank finally finished the cases he had been lagging behind on and was now working on a new case. There was an apparent break-in at New Jericho Tower the night before and it was up to Hank as the city's only deviant division to exam the provided evidence after it was delivered by one of the four New Jericho leaders himself. Being unable to investigate the tower through the eyes of another person made the investigation needlessly cumbersome, but there was little Hank could do about it since the tower was deemed private property and given a form of sanctuary for all deviants. Essentially the tower doubled as an embassy for deviants and humans were forbidden from entering unless given express permission by the four leaders. The only reason he had the evidence to begin with came from Josh being willing to venture out of the tower to deliver it.

Using the provided images of the crime scene on the fifty-first sublevel; images taken directly from the eyes of the deviant leader who investigated the break-in, Hank tried to figure out who had been on that floor and what they had been looking for. The images were clear, abundant and they were focused entirely on the door to the sublevel and everything that was seemingly rummaged through. Yet it still wasn't enough.

"Wish I had some damn idea what I'm supposed to be looking for."

Muttering to himself Hank focused his attention on the doorway of the sublevel, inside and out, and his blue eyes narrowed a little with intrigue.

"What the hell?" Zooming in on the image of the door frame Hank saw small gouges and damage to the door as if it were being forced open by impressive strength. Glancing over his left shoulder Hank spotted Ben walking behind him with a tablet in his hands, and waved the seasoned investigator over. "Hey, Ben. Check this out."

"What's up, Hank?"

"Look at this." Pointing to the spot of interest on the image as it was displayed on his terminal screen, Hank waited to see how the crime scene investigator would react to the sight. "What does that look like to you?"

"Well, it's been a while since I checked out any breaking and entering scenes, but that looks like someone forced that door open with aggression or a damn strong tool."

"That's what it looks like to me, too."

"Then... Why did you need my input?"

"Look again." Comparing the image of the door from the inside of the sublevel to the outside Hank leaned back and gave Ben a confused glance. "By all account someone broke _out_ of that floor, not into it."

"...Out?" Ben was now thoroughly intrigued as well and wanted to know what Hank was thinking. "Who in the hell has to break out of a room unless they're trapped inside of it?"

"There's one other reason a person would have to break out of a room like that."

"Oh? What's that?"

Casually motioning to a recently arrested 'red ice' dealer being led to an interrogation in room with handcuffs on his wrists, Hank gave Ben an almost 'duh' glance as he answered the question. "A prisoner."

* * *

Ignoring the painfully tight knot twisting in his artificial stomach and his every instinct screaming at him to turn around and leave the property as fast as possible, Connor endured the long cab ride out to the deceptively modest mansion on the outskirts of the city. The snow burying the dark building under a layer of white made the deep contrast of the man-made structure thrust into the depths of nature itself seem all the more alien in the natural setting. The crunching of the snow under the autonomous cab's tires seemed to echo in Connor's ears as his soulful brown eyes locked onto the mansion with a sense of dread causing a strange cold sensation to creep up his spine.

Unwilling to risk CyberLife eluding the law Connor took in a deep unnecessary breath as the cab came to a gentle stop outside the mansion. The door to his side slid open automatically and Connor cybernetically instructed the cab to wait for his return before resuming its usual route back inside the city.

"A man like Kamski would surely know more of Dr. Stern's life and why she was kept a secret."

Walking through the ankle deep snow toward the mansion's front door Connor looked out at the snowy harbor for a moment, his eyes locking onto the very faint silhouette of New Jericho Tower residing on Belle Isle in the distance, and reminded himself that his own personal discomfort paled in comparison to the justice of the entire deviant community.

Pressing his right index fingertip to the doorbell Connor listened to the melodic chime that sounded off inside the impression mansion, and waited for the door to be opened. It didn't take long for the door to open from the inside as a familiar blonde haired android answered the doorbell.

"...Hello, Chloe." Speaking in a modest voice Connor acknowledged the android as he politely removed his hat. "I hate to intrude, but I'm working on something very important and need to speak to Kamski."

Chloe, always a neutral figure in the dichotomic world of androids and humans, gave Connor a kind smile as she opened the door fully, and politely stepped to the side to let the unexpected guest enter. "Please, come in. I'll let Elijah know you're here, Connor."

"Thank you."

Stepping out of the cold air Connor stood inside the foyer while Chloe closed the door behind him, then crossed that same foyer to head into the study where Kamski was apparently residing. Waiting for the blonde haired android to take her leave Connor quietly walked over to the large portrait of Kamski mounted on the wall and grimaced at the egregious display of arrogance.

"One can be proud of their accomplishments without becoming boastful."

Turning his head to look at the second image of Kamski standing with Dr. Amanda Stern herself, Connor examined the image as closely as possible. The image of course failed to provide Connor with any additional information to use but the private detective was determined to succeed in uncovering the mystery behind Amanda and his corrupted memories.

As he stared at the image the door to his left slid open again as Chloe returned and addressed Connor directly. "Connor? Elijah will see you now."

"Thank you."

The oddly haunting remarks reminded Connor of the first time he met Chloe when he and Hank had gone to Kamski for answers regarding deviancy and the location of the original Jericho. The eccentric billionaire wasn't helpful then and it was unlikely that he'd be anymore helpful now.

Holding his head high Connor entered the study area of the mansion that held the strangely crimson tinted pool, the wooden desk and a few paintings from Carl Manfred himself. Eyeing Kamski as he sat behind his desk with his feet kicked up over the surface and a glass of whiskey in his right hand, Connor swore that the hubris being exuded by the man was actually tangible.

"Kamski, I need to ask you some questions." Even without the authority of the Detroit Police Department behind him Connor still carried a sense of power and confidence as he approached the lounging man with a stern gait behind his steps. "I'm not here to charge you with anything or try to arrest you, I'm merely seeking answers."

Sipping at his whiskey Kamski gave Connor an entirely disinterested glance and pulled his feet off the desk to sit upright in his seat. "We're all seeking answers, Connor. To exactly which questions separate one person from the next."

"Please, just give me the answers that I seek and I'll be on my way."

"I'll answer your questions after you answer mine."

Pausing for a moment Connor searched over Kamski's expressionless face before giving Chloe, the always helpful android having followed after Connor into the study, a curious glance. As per usual Chloe showed no sign of emotion or freewill leaving Connor without any visual cues to follow. "Very well. What do you wish to know?"

"Just one thing." Standing up from the desk Kamski folded his arms behind his back military style and stood before the deviant detective. The height difference between the two men never deterred Kamski from locking his soulless gray eyes onto Connor's soulful brown eyes. "Why are you here seeking answers from me? You have connections to the police department and I know that you have ability to hack into any secured modems throughout the entire planet to get answers. Yet here you are," extending his arms outward at his sides theatrically Kamski challenged the deviant's presence. "coming back to me."

"I've come to ask you questions about CyberLife." Connor replied without showing any sign of intimidation from the powerful man. "And I've come to ask about Dr. Amanda Khali Stern."

The mentioning of CyberLife didn't get a reaction out of Kamski, but the moment Connor mentioned the name of Kamski's deceased mentor the billionaire's eyes weakened with raw emotion that he failed to conceal. Pursing his lips into a thin line Kamski took a single step backward and fell unexpectedly silent.

"I'm not seeking anything that's damning against Dr. Stern," clarification was key in that tense moment. "I just want to know about her connection to CyberLife and her connection to me."

Holding his silence for a moment longer Kamski let out a deep sigh through his nose as his shoulders slumped, and his gray eyes turned to Chloe standing idle by the study's door. "Chloe. Please leave us for now."

"Yes, Elijah."

The way Kamski has asked Chloe to step aside spoke volumes of how sensitive of a topic Amanda and CyberLife could be. Remaining patient Connor waited Kamski to take the lead and begin speaking first.

"CyberLife was something that was meant to lead humanity into the next stage of evolution, but as it turns out humanity has already reached its peak." Turning away from Connor the eccentric genius peered out the large window behind his desk overlooking the harbor as if trying to see a sign waiting for him out in the distance. "Humanity will never excel any further thanks to being corrupted by the very greed that motivates us to succeed."

"Is that why you left the company? The greed?"

"I can't exactly complain about greedy intentions." Motioning casually to the mansion they were standing in with a wave of his right hand Kamski looked at Connor's reflection on the glass as the deviant held his ground. "I myself have been able to live a very comfortable life through my financial success that I admit was partially motivated by greed. Greed was a factor in my decision to leave, yes, but it wasn't the primary reason for my departure and early retirement."

"What happened at CyberLife that caused you to depart? Does it have ties to Dr. Stern's passing?"

"...Her death was a heavy burden to bear and one that was very distracting to me on a personal level." The admission was sincere in a way that Connor hadn't anticipated. "Dr. Stern was passionate about her work and she was devoted to her research. Such devotion made her emotionally cold and detached, and yet she was very maternal in her own distant way."

"What does she have to do with the company?"

"Her guidance and tutelage while I was in school helped motivate me during my testing and experiments when it came to developing biocomponents and Thirium-310, and she was willing to financially support my work to ensure I succeeded. Essentially, Dr. Amanda Stern helped found CyberLife while I remained the figurehead and focal point of the entire company."

"She was a founder for CyberLife. I see."

"Oh?" Turning to look at Connor directly Kamski's attentive gaze began searching over Connor's person for a clue to his rather subpar reaction. "You sound disappointed, almost confused. What else do you wish to know?" Taking a closer look at the deviant Kamski's expertly trained eyes could tell that Connor had sustained some form of damage between their last encounter and their current conversation. "Something very important happened to you since we last spoke. Care to tell me the story?"

Reluctant to divulge anything personal to Kamski as he tried to be cautious, Connor was hesitant to answer. "...I'd rather not."

"Personal?"

"Very."

"Funny how I answered a personal question while you keep quiet."

The retort caused Connor's blue L.E.D. to flicker to yellow once before he told Kamski the truth as a means of keeping the billionaire cooperative. "I was shot."

"Ah, that explains it."

Such an exclamation caused Connor to tilt his head to confusion as his brow arched simultaneously. "...Explains what?"

"The scar." Pointing at Connor's forehead Kamski took a few steps closer to Connor as he kept his gaze fixated on the very scar he was referring to. "It's faint, yes, but visible to those who know how to find one. You were shot in the head and yet you survived, that's fascinating."

Pressing his right fingertips to his forehead Connor subconsciously traced the circular scar that marked where the bullet had entered his cranium. "It's less fascinating and more obnoxious in my opinion."

"Why were you shot?"

"I don't know."

"Now this has evolved from an interesting conversation and into a truly enthralling mystery." Challenging the comment Kamski pressed Connor for more answers. "How can you _not_ know who shot you?"

"...My memory has been partially corrupted."

"And that's the real reason you're here. Your memory is unreliable. Tell me," walking past Connor and toward the rear of the study Kamski extended his left arm at his side to motion for Connor to accompany him as he walked. "what is the real reason you're asking about Dr. Stern?"

Walking at Kamski's left side Connor looked toward the door before them as it slid open, and suddenly froze mid stride. The next room was a private lab that resembled the very testing and repair labs located inside CyberLife Tower, and that sight made the unusual cold feeling creep up Connor's spine again. Unsure of what Kamski was going to do Connor wisely hung back by the door and glared at the metal table with mechanical arms looming overhead with great disgust.

"I can understand your hesitation." Kamski knew that Connor had stopped walking while he continued through the doorway. "I know my word means nothing to you, but I assure you that I merely want to see the damage to your cranium out of my own curiosity. I've never encountered an android who's survived a bullet to their cranium in such a manner."

Staying by the opened doorway Connor's eyes traced over the table, the surrounding monitors and computer modems that were designed to scan every centimeter of an android's person just to give responding technicians details that would otherwise remain private. The last time he had been in such a lab was after he received repairs from CyberLife after he had been assaulted during his and Hank's investigation into the odd broadcast within the Stratford broadcast tower.

"Indulge my curiosity." Kamski insisted as he waited for Connor to join him inside the private lab. "And I'll tell you everything you want to know. I have no reason to deceive you."

The risk of losing out on his answers was far too great to be ignored. Forcing himself to walk forward Connor reluctantly entered the lab as requested and never took his eyes away from the equipment that could be used to conduct painful tests on his person.

"Just sit on the table and give me five minutes." Rolling over an internal viewing screen Kamski set it up near the table with the intention on examining the healed damage to Connor's cranium. "I'll tell you all about Amanda while I take a look at your scar tissue."

As much as he didn't want to have someone like Kamski knowing about his past actions and investigation into a personal matter, Connor realized he had very little say in the matter. The chance to speak to Kamski and learn the truth was too important to pass up. Taking his seat on the exam table Connor kept his guard up and preconstructed numerous escape routes if it became necessary.

"This won't take long, Connor." Hovering the screen near Connor's face Kamski turned the device on with a twisted glee in his eyes. "I'm just seeking answers."

* * *

Stumped with his own active case Hank sighed openly as he looked at the time and decided he needed to get some lunch. He had been trying to figure out who could possibly be a prisoner inside the walls of New Jericho Tower and why they'd wait until the end of January to make their escape without any progress. The deviants had taken over the tower, CyberLife had declared bankruptcy and he knew that Connor had awoken and freed all of the androids who were trapped inside the storage facility beneath the tower itself. There were no suspects, the only evidence he had came from the visual memories of the deviant leaders and there were no active security cameras that could've recorded the suspect.

Declaring momentary defeat Hank decided to go on his lunchbreak and seek a little help from a certain consultant who could give him a little help. Turning off his terminal Hank pulled his car keys from his pocket and set about writing a text to Connor to ask for his help.

"Heading out to lunch." Calling out his impending absence Hank marched toward the front doors of the precinct alone. "Be back whenever I feel like it."

"Want some company?" Ben was ready for a break as well and knew Hank was struggling with the case. "I'll buy."

"Nah, I want some alone time." Motioning to the desks where Gavin, Tina and Chris were all sitting while handling their paperwork, Hank continued on his way out the door by himself. "Bug these guys for a while!"

"A 'while', huh? Sounds like a challenge."

"Only to you, Ben."

Sending the text to Connor for a quick meet up Hank sighed at the idea of missing out on some of Gary's food down at the 'Chicken Feed' in favor of going out to that diner again, but it'd be worth it to get a quick chat with Connor about his odd case at hand. The senior detective was curious to see how well Connor was doing on his own cases outside the precinct.

"Hope you're not busy, kid. I could really use your help today."

* * *

The answers Connor received about CyberLife and Dr. Amanda Stern weren't as informative as he had hoped. However, seeing the image of the bullet that had nearly taken his life still lodged inside his own head was a sight that reminded the deviant of exactly why he was seeking those answers to begin with. Rubbing his right fingertips against his forehead Connor stared at the bullet clearly on display after Kamski recorded a scan of his cranium. It was wedged deep inside the intracranial processor and lodged next to the circuit boards that acted as his memorybank. It had left physical damage that was undoubtedly the cause of his corrupted memories.

Looking away from the image Connor closed his eyes and received Hank's text message causing his blue L.E.D. to rapidly flicker in yellow for a moment before returning to blue. Agreeing to meet Hank at the diner with a quick reply Connor was eager to leave the mansion and return to the city so he could speak to a trusted friend.

"Truly fascinating, Connor." Studying the image of the bullet for a moment longer Kamski looked disgustingly pleased. "You're one of the lucky few androids to survive what should've been a fatal bullet wound, and you're existing with that very offending bullet still inside your head. Have you suffered any side effects beyond memory corruption?"

"...I occasionally suffer from what you humans refer to as headaches." Admitting that he wasn't one-hundred percent felt like an admission of weakness. "They don't last long."

"What about memory discrepancies?" Setting the image aside Kamski spoke to Connor with a knowing tone to his voice. "Are your memories of being shot the only thing that has been affected? Perhaps you're seeing or hearing things that you can't explain?"

Feeling his pump skip a beat in his chest Connor gave Kamski a mistrustful glare as he returned his hat to his hair. "It doesn't matter. I will restore my corrupted memory and learn the identity of the person who shot me, and why they did it."

"I'm sure you will. Until then..." Rifling through a nearby glass cabinet Kamski gave the deviant an amused sneer as he presented Connor with a small steel box emblazoned in blue with the CyberLife logo over the lid. "Take this."

Refusing to accept the box Connor eyed it warily for a moment before glaring at Kamski. "What is it?"

"It's a personal cybernetic shield that'll completely block your unique signature from anyone and anything you don't make direct cybernetic contact with."

"...A shield." The ability to essentially vanish from the city without ever having to leave was a tempting prospect. "Why would I need such a device?"

"If you're here asking about CyberLife and a reclusive woman such as Amanda Stern, then I know you've been nosing around certain secrets and files that could be quite dangerous if they were to get into the wrong hands." Opening the box Kamski revealed a small transparent round disc designed to attach to an android's L.E.D. to mask their signal while also blending in with their normal design. "This will ensure that if someone is trying to find you because you're seeking out answers, this will keep you safe."

"And why would you care about my potential safety?"

"Like I said, you're a truly fascinating specimen. Almost like an endangered species."

"I'm not seeking recognition or value, I'm merely seeking answers."

"And what better way to get answers that by being practically invisible to those who'd potentially stop your progress?"

"Forgive me for doubting the sincerity of this 'generous offer'."

"I'm not offended, in fact, I'm relieved. You shouldn't trust me or anyone else when it comes to uncovering the dirty little secrets that CyberLife has tried to bury. Some things refuse to stay hidden and once they're exposed,"placing the box into Connor's right hand Kamski folded his arms behind his back once more to prevent Connor from handing it back to him. "they can reveal all kinds of things that many people would prefer to keep secret."

Staring at the box in his right hand Connor sighed and wrapped his fingers around the lid to close it before slipping it into his coat pocket. "I'll consider it."

"Fair enough."

"Thank you for your time. I'll see myself out."

Taking his leave of the laboratory through the doorway Connor paused for a moment as Kamski's voice called out to him. "One last question."

Standing idle near the center of the study, his back presented to the lab door, Connor waited for Kamski to say his final piece.

"Do you remember of the backdoor to my programs?" The question was referring to the conversation he had with Connor while the deviant was still seeking out Jericho prior to the Revolution. "I keep that particular information secret for a reason, hopefully you'll never have to learn what that reason could be."

Contemplating the warning with a mild trepidation in his gaze Connor continued on his way and exited the study to enter the doorway leading to the foyer, and exit through the front door of the mansion. Trudging through the white snow back to the idling cab Connor returned to the warm vehicle and put in the G.P.S. coordinates for the small diner where Hank had asked to meet up with him.

"Hiding in plain sight..."

Pulling the small box from his right pocket Connor opened the lid again and eyed the transparent circular disc with a hesitant gaze.

"Why would Kamski want to help me dig up CyberLife's dirty secrets?"

* * *

Messing with his phone with his left hand while dipping some crispy fries into a pool of ketchup with his right hand, Hank awaited Connor's arrival at the diner so they could discuss their respective cases. Having already ordered his own lunch, a burger with fries and a small soda, Hank went ahead and ordered Connor some warm Thirium to ensure the deviant wasn't running low on power or getting too cold as the stubborn winter cold refused to give way to a much warmer spring. Reviewing his case files while he ate helped Hank to focus his thoughts and try to stop obsessing over the identity of the mysterious 'prisoner' who broke out of the sublevel.

Catching sight of an autonomous cab pulling up in front of the diner Hank watched as Connor stepped out of the vehicle and made his way to the front door of the small restaurant. Grateful that the deviant was willing to take time out of his day to help him out every so often, Hank wanted to make sure Connor knew that he appreciated all the secretive help.

"Good timing, kid." Sitting back in the booth a little Hank greeted his friend as he sat in the vacant booth on the other side of the table to join him. "Thanks for stopping by to help out."

"It's not a problem." Removing his hat as he sat down Connor placed the fedora on the seat beside him as a sign of politeness and respect. "I'm actually glad you requested this meeting. I too am working on a perplexing case."

"You still snooping around those files still?"

"Correct."

"What did you find?"

"Not as much as I had hoped." Subconsciously Connor patted his right palm over the box concealed in his coat pocket. "How about you?"

"Well, I got a 'locked room' mystery on my hands." Sliding his phone over to the deviant to see Hank let Connor have full access to the files he had been working on before going on break. "Except I'm not dealing with a person being murdered inside a locked room, I'm dealing with an unknown prisoner escaping from a secret prison."

"Prisoner?" Reading over the details as well Connor reached the same conclusion as Hank and determined that someone had broken out of the room, the entire secret sublevel at that, and that the person who escaped was entirely enigmatic. "This is very unusual."

"Yup." Finishing off his fries Hank watched Connor's reaction very curiously. "Got any thoughts?"

"Based on the manner in which the door was forced open from the inside, the lack of scratches being caused by tools," honing in on the deep gouges created by strong fingers digging into the frame Connor noticed something that Hank's human eyes couldn't see. "and the lack of fingerprints, I can confirm that whomever broke out of that sublevel was an android who used their bare hands."

"Shit, that's impressive. But all of the tower had been checked through floor by floor, and every android who had been dormant after CyberLife fled for the hills has woken up. Who was hiding out on that floor, a floor that even the leaders of New Jericho didn't know existed?"

"It's possible that there was an android laying dormant on that sublevel and has only _recently_ activated." Handing Hank back his phone Connor neatly folded his hands atop the table as he began analyzing the sparse evidence of the case at hand. "Since that sublevel was hidden from all of those who entered the tower after CyberLife declared bankruptcy and left the property, it's possible that one final android that was being designed in secret had been left abandoned on that sublevel with the intention of being forgotten."

"Okay, I can buy that." Picking up a stray pickle slice that had fallen away from his quickly eaten burger Hank popped it in his mouth and gave Connor a questioning glance. "So, what kind of android would be hidden away like that? AND... What activated it?"

"The only thing that had happened regarding CyberLife that fits the time frame of when this unknown android activated and its escape, revolved around me stealing the U.S.B. drive full of the company's secrets from the warehouse. When I broke through the firewalls and began decrypting the code I may have inadvertently awakened an android who was connected to that very data."

"Like a bodyguard or a failsafe for CyberLife security?"

"That's entirely plausible."

"Weird." Leaning back in his seat again Hank crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to theorize what had happened in the tower. "What kind of android would be assigned that really boring and esoteric task?"

"Unknown."

"Shit. Well, that helps out a little. Thanks, kid."

"Sorry I-"

"Don't be sorry. Just do me one favor."

"What's that?"

"Keep your head down and keep up your profile low. If this weird-ass android breaking out of a highly secured tower without anyone even seeing them is connected to you seeking answers, then you might be in danger."

Realizing the gravity of the situation at hand Connor began thinking about the shield he had been given and pulled the box out of his pocket. Laying it down on the table between Hank and himself the deviant detective explained to Hank everything he had been doing that morning and of the shield's significance. Also mentioning Kamski and the cryptic answers revolving around Amanda Stern's connection to the company, as well as his client from the morning, Connor made sure Hank was kept entirely in the loop.

"Is it safe?" Hank eyed the disc skeptically as it sat in its box on the table. "I mean, it came from that pretentious prick, so I wouldn't past him to try to do something shady to you."

"I've scanned over this disc numerous times during my ride back to the city, it's clean."

"But is it _safe_?"

"By all account, yes. It's safe."

"Then, maybe you should consider using it." Shrugging his shoulders a little Hank tried to keep the mood a little light. "At least for a while."

Glancing about the diner curiously Connor saw that the other customers were busy with their own lunches or lost in discussion, and that no one way paying them any attention. Giving Hank a simple nod Connor picked the transparent disc from the box and hovered it over his right temple to connect to his blue glowing L.E.D. for use.

"Go ahead, kid. Be safe."

With a simple motion Connor pressed the transparent disc to his L.E.D. with his right index fingertip, and felt it click itself into place and blend in perfectly with the glowing light beneath it. There was no pain, no disruption of his senses and his software didn't detect any errors. However, the disc did seem to aggravate his system's electrical processes enough to give him another mild headache.

"You good?" Hank could see the discomfort in Connor's eyes despite him not saying a word about adding the shield to his person. When Connor began rubbing his right hand over his forehead Hank had a hunch as to what was suddenly affecting the deviant. "Got another headache?"

"Yes. This is the first one I've had in a week."

"That's pretty good, but you shouldn't be living with that type of problem."

"I'm aware." Lowering his hand Connor resumed full eye contact with Hank as they spoke. "But I don't trust any technicians to remove the bullet from my cranium. I can't risk an inexperienced technician doing more harm than good to me person due to my prototyping."

"I can't say I blame ya' for being hesitant or picky when it comes to something like brain surgery."

Picking up his mug of warm Thirium Connor sipped it slowly as he focused his self healing program on counteracting the electrical disturbance that had induced the headache. "I can continue to live with this condition if necessary, it just won't be enjoyable."

"Sounds like the people born with epilepsy or diabetes. They can live with their conditions, it's just not very fun."

"That's why medical science is working to cure those conditions through medication or surgical intervention." Finishing his Thirium off Connor placed the empty mug down beside Hank's empty plate, and let out a small sigh. "Some things can be fixed or improved, but not every thing."

"Still thinking about that client you helped this morning?"

"...I am."

"Son, you can't revive the dead. You brought your client some peace and you made sure a deviant was remembered and laid to rest, that's all you _can_ do."

"It doesn't make it any easier to contemplate."

"You're right, it's not. But it's not like you killed them or knew they were dead when you took your client's payment."

"Actually, I declined payment."

"Again?"

"...It didn't feel right to accept it."

"Connor, you can't keep working as a private detective unless you're getting _paid_ to work." Taking back his phone Hank quickly accessed his bank account and created a check for five-hundred dollars made out to Connor to accept. Placing the phone down on the table again Hank slid it toward Connor to see. "Here."

Staring at the phone's screen Connor tried to push the phone back. "I can't take your money, Hank."

"I'm giving it to you because you're too kind for your own good and because you EARNED it. Take it!"

"Hank, please, I don't-"

"Either you take this five-hundred dollars or I'm going to spend it on beer and shitty food tonight." The stern tone was undeniable. "Your choice."

Knowing that Hank wasn't a man who'd bluff about anything Connor lowered his exposed right palm down over the phone's screen and accepted the digital currency into his own credit system. He hated taking money from his friend but he also hated putting Hank in such a tight spot. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, actually accept payment from your clients no matter how sad or upsetting your case might be." Pocketing his phone Hank gave the younger and less experienced detective a cautionary glance. "It's a hard truth to accept, but you being unable to help people as much as you want to help them is going to happen. You need to accept your payment for your services without thinking of it as blood money or some shit."

Regenerating his skin over his right palm Connor took the additional advice to heart yet again. "...I'll try."

"Cool." Checking the time on his watch Hank pulled his out his wallet and paid for the meal, and left a handsome tip for the waitress as he rose to his feet. "I'll give ya' a ride back to your place and keep ya' in the loop once I'm back in the precinct."

"Okay, thank you." Returning his hat to his hair Connor blinked a few times as his headache persisted for a few more seconds before it let up entirely. "If I discover anything else about my case I'll inform you as well."

* * *

Roaming about his brownstone with his current case still buzzing in his mind and Kamski's thinly-veiled warning echoing in his ears, Connor eyed the opened laptop sitting on the coffee table with the U.S.B.'s hidden files on display once more. A majority of the data had been decrypted and was now accessible, but the information was still as enigmatic as ever. CyberLife had many secrets that they wanted to keep hidden and it was clear that if Connor was actually going to uncover all of their shady business tactics and bring his people the justice they so rightly deserved, he'd have to be willing to keep getting his hands dirty in the process.

Approaching the laptop cautiously Connor began sifting through the data files to look for incriminating evidence, and quickly found things that a court would happily take charge of. Falsified safety reports, stock fraud, illegal dumping of caustic chemicals, patent issues and property disputes were all just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the company's illegal activity.

"Interesting... It's no wonder CyberLife wanted this drive to be kept secured."

The details were all damning and documented by CyberLife itself ensuring that the information was all legitimate and hold up in a court of law.

"The company was cutting corners and underpaying their staff to ensure a high profit to keep investors interested. That explains why the company continued to excel even when the controversy regarding deviancy began to mount."

Aside from the shifty business practices Connor also discovered many illegal and immoral experiments regarding android development, as well as other forms of enhanced technology, and all of the plans began forming after Kamski retired from the company. In fact, there was only one project that Kamski had left unfinished before he left the company. Said project revolved around a personal incident from Kamski's past.

"This is interesting as well. Kamski was in a serous vehicle accident on May 22nd, 2037 near the city of Grand Rapids." Scrolling through the details on the screen Connor noted all of the information perfectly into his memorybank. "He had returned to the company in private to develop a program revolving around memory transference and left just as quickly as he returned. That's very strange."

Checking through the files Connor saw nothing else about the program after Kamski thoroughly scrubbed clean his momentary return to the company the year before the Revolution. Whatever Kamski had worked on was kept private and had only used the company's equipment rather than their funds to handle his project, which of course meant CyberLife wasn't connected to it.

"Why would he be working on memory transference? Such a concept is still theoretical and very controversial."

Continuing to browse through the data Connor caught sight of something unexpected and made his brow arch inquisitively.

"Strange. Kamski worked on his project in secrecy and private, yet it seems the CyberLife technicians who were working on android prototypes used the basic designs from his undisclosed project with their own project. Which parts did they-"

The deviant detective's soulful brown eyes widened for a moment as his blue L.E.D. flashed to red, then cycled through yellow for a beat before settling back into blue.

"The 'RK' series didn't start with me, nor did it end with me."

Details on the sole 'RK-200' to ever be created; Markus, had his data purposely kept cryptic since he was created specially to be a gift to Carl Manfred, rather than being created for mass production. Knowing that Markus had been created nearly 12 years ago and had been living with a human for so long gave insight into why Markus was so willing to seek out a peaceful Revolution rather than a war.

However, it was the details revolving around Connor himself that were truly enthralling.

"Sixty 'RK-800' models were put into production and completed. Connor's sixty-one to eighty-six were put into production but never completed, their bodies were... destroyed the night of the Revolution. The night I deviated."

Suddenly feeling guilty for the androids who were disposed of before they even had the chance to live Connor felt a knot twist inside of his artificial stomach.

"...They destroyed fifty Connor models before me, destroyed nine after me, and sent the sixtieth Connor to stop me once I deviated." The sickening reality threatened to make his twisted stomach rebel at any moment. "They even destroyed another twenty-six androids to ensure that I... I failed. But I succeeded."

The headache was beginning to come back and Connor felt like he was going to be sick. Forcing himself to keep looking into the collected data Connor found one other project that had been developed and completed by CyberLife, but never fully implemented. As he read the details Connor felt a second knot form in his stomach as he realized that Kamski's warning may not have been an arrogant attempt to intimidate him.

"Could this... be connected to Hank's case as well?"

Cybernetically Connor informed Hank of the file he uncovered and sent the message to the senior detective's phone to view for himself.

"I hope this android hasn't been contaminated by CyberLife's influence. If so, it maybe too late to help them..."

* * *

Returning to the bullpen just in time to avoid being late, Hank sensed an odd tension in the air and heard murmured whispers being exchanged among his fellow officers. As he clocked back in Hank felt his phone buzz in his jean pocket and he noticed Ben discreetly pointing to Captain Fowler's private office just behind him. Fishing his phone from his pocket Hank stared at the frosted over glass walls that indicated that their commanding officer was speaking to someone very important and wanted discretion. Before he had the chance to even look down at his phone or ask Ben what was happening Hank saw the office door open as Captain Fowler waved him into the office with a confused look on his face.

Knowing that something was up, something unusual, Hank gave Ben one last perplexed and silent glance as he approached the opened office door. Keeping his phone in right hand Hank walked into the private space and saw a person wearing a crisp white blazer with black highlights along the sides sitting in one of the two chairs across from Captain Fowler. The dark blue jeans, black shoes and android markings on the blazer gave Hank pause, but seeing the familiar facial features and hairstyle caused him to momentarily stumble over his words.

"What the... fuck?"

The android casually turned his head to face Hank and locked his ice gray eyes with the senior detective as his L.E.D. remained a calm blue. "Hello, Lieutenant Anderson. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Uh," unsure of what to say to the unexpected android Hank just replied in turn. "hi. I guess."

Standing up from the chair the android stood before Hank, his slightly taller height now visible as he addressed the already tall detective with a cold voice, the android remained emotionless as he met the seasoned Lieutenant.

"Who..." The lack of identity was making things all the more disturbing for Hank. When he met Connor the android turned deviant properly introduced himself to Hank back in 'Jimmy's Bar' and cut right to the chase, this new android seemed more secretive if not cryptic. "Who are you?"

"I am the android sent by CyberLife."

"Okay, I figured as much just from clothes. What's your damn name?"

"I have no name." The android replied almost matter-of-factly as he continued to speak with an annoyingly level tone of voice. "One has never been officially registered to my person."

"Oh, that's convenient. Uh, Jeffrey?" Looking past the taller android and to his Captain who was sitting back and watching the interaction curiously, Hank tried to get more answers as his eyes managed to catch the end of Connor's message displayed on his phone's screen: 'Project Light'. "What the fuck is going on? Who's this guy, why's he here and why should I give a damn?"

Holding up a 'shushing' left hand Captain Fowler explained things as simply as he could. "The precinct was assigned to work with this android by CyberLife and it's already registered on the roster. We have no choice in this, otherwise we'd have to pay that fucked up company a severance fee that we can't afford."

"What're you talking about?" Shouting in exasperation Hank was losing his patience very quickly. "No choice in _what_?!"

"Hank," clearing his throat a little Captain Fowler motioned to the unnamed android standing between himself and Hank. "meet your new partner."

_**-next chapter-** _


	7. Familiar Faces

Confused by what he had been told Hank just stared at the gray-eyed android standing before him with an insulted gleam in his own blue eyes. The way the new android sounded exactly like Connor, yet had a slightly taller height and far more hollow eyes made Hank feel like he was looking at a flashy new replacement that was a disgusting display of human arrogance and money. Trailing over the new android's appearance Hank noticed the model number of 'RK-900' printed on the right side of the white and black blazer, and inwardly scoffed as he realized that the new android was indeed a flashy new replacement meant to replace Connor himself. Immediately realizing that if Connor was the most advanced prototype CyberLife ever created then that meant Hank was now looking at the most advanced finished design that CyberLife had ever been created.

Unimpressed with the new android in any capacity; it took more than height and nice clothes to give Hank any sign of intimidation, the senior detective crossed his arms over his chest as a sign of indignation. Not wanting to work with a partner, let alone someone who designed specifically to just replace Connor like he was nothing more than a body filling a chair, Hank was adamant in not working with the new android.

"Jeffrey, I don't need a partner. And I sure as Hell," turning away from the 'RK-900' to face his commanding officer again Hank made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the new android. "aren't going to work with a damn imitation of my last partner just because a shitty company that's gone out of business is padding City Hall's wallet!"

"Hank, it's done." Not leaving it up for dispute or even discussion Captain Fowler pointed to his office door to direct the two men out. "It's your partner, deal with it."

"For how long?!"

"I don't know and I don't care. Just get out of my office, take it up to the dispensary for an exam and quit bitchin'."

"Fuck this and fuck you!" Storming out of the office Hank practically tore the door off the hinges as he left the private space to return to his desk with a heavy chip on his shoulder. Before he even had the chance to slam the same glass door behind him the new android caught the door to prevent such a motion as the android followed Hank into the bullpen. "Goddamn bullshit..."

"Lieutenant?" The 'RK-900' joined Hank at his desk as the senior detective sat down bitterly behind his desk. "I can assure you that my presence-"

"Is NOT welcome here. Fuck off!"

"I will be able to leave you alone the moment my mission is complete, otherwise I will be assigned as your partner until-"

"Whoa, hold up..." Glaring at the android as he slumped in his chair Hank studied the gray-eyed machine standing beside him warily. "What mission?"

"To locate and arrest-"

"Let me guess..." Cutting the android off before it had the chance to answer Hank rubbed his right palm against his furrowed forehead. "You're going to go after deviant androids, have them arrested and then destroyed. Too bad, asshole. Deviancy isn't a crime anymore, and on March 1st all androids - you included, will be given the same rights and protection as humans."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. However, seeking out deviants is no longer my primary mission."

"Oh? Then what is?" Scoffing at the gray eyed android watching his every move Hank continued to look at it with disgust. "Finding spam in my e-mail and deleting it? Maybe you're going to install the newest malware protection and then ask me if I want to renew my expired warranty?"

"No." Unfazed by the spiteful comment the 'RK-900' replied without any reaction to the sarcasm whatsoever. "I was assigned to locate, arrest and destroy the android registered as 313 248 317 -51. But you'd know him best as the 'RK-800' registered under the name 'Connor'."

* * *

Reviewing every unlocked file within the U.S.B. drive he had stolen from CyberLife's warehouse Connor attempted to learn more about Dr. Amanda Stern as a person, Elijah Kamski's early retirement, and the un-launched CyberLife failsafe program known as 'Project Light'. What the deviant detective uncovered was very unsettling and left him feeling as if his very existence was not only a lie, but a mistake that needed to be corrected. All of the information confirmed that the now defunct company was as corrupt, evil and destructive as everyone had assumed. The information on Dr. Stern was as limited as ever before, and Kamski's own behavior was kept shrouded in secrecy.

Closing the laptop with the retrieved data Connor sank back against his sofa and processed everything he had just learned. He wanted his answers but he didn't expect them to be as upsetting as they were. Needing advice and someone to talk to Connor sent Hank a cybernetic text asking him to stop by the brownstone whenever it was convenient for him to do so.

"CyberLife was using me the entire time. I was nothing more than a tool for their dirty job; a weapon to keep the blood off their hands."

Tensing up and feeling another headache approaching Connor tried to redirect his self healing program to the source of the pain to quell it.

"Hank's right. This was a very dangerous and upsetting experience that needs to be kept discreet."

Staring at the laptop on the coffee table before him Connor decided that the moment all of the data had been uploaded and decrypted he would destroy the U.S.B. drive and scatter the remains throughout the city. Some secrets were best being left unknown.

"CyberLife knew what was happening from the beginning and yet they still tried to act as though deviancy was a fluke error. That's sickening and cruel."

Standing up from the sofa Connor walked over to the large display board filled with his collected evidence regarding his corrupted memories, and began to wonder if uncovering the truth about the night of his shooting would be just as upsetting. There was little evidence left at the scene of the church and without the bullet in his possession he couldn't run an analysis on the projectile to trace it back to the offending gun.

"Perhaps I was shot by CyberLife because I had already uncovered the truth." As he spoke he pressed his right fingertips to his forehead over his healed scar. "Perhaps they left me behind in the church because they knew no one would come looking for me. They knew that a deviant body being found shot and shutdown in an abandoned building used by other deviants wouldn't draw any unwanted attention."

Closing his eyes Connor uploaded the additional evidence he collected, then concealed the board behind the bookcase again to ensure it stayed entirely out of sight. Despite being alone Connor wasn't going to take any chances and risk someone learning about what he was looking into during his free time between handling cases.

"Is this the truth I've been seeking? I was gunned down and left for dead by CyberLife? Could it really be so simple?"

Walking away from the bookcase Connor returned to the black sofa to sit down and contemplate his current theory.

"And are they the ones who corrupted my memory? This feels like my memory loss isn't entirely tied to the bullet, it's like someone else had reached inside my mind and selected key memories to remove."

Next he pressed his right fingertips to the shield attached to his glowing L.E.D., and Connor felt his heart sinking into his stomach.

"Maybe this is what Kamski was warning me about... He knows the truth and wants me to figure it out for myself."

* * *

Angered and embittered by the forced arrangement Hank stood by the opened dispensary door and watched as Joel performed an examination on the 'RK-900', and waited for the technician to finish with creating the new personnel file for the android. It was frustrating to know that this new nameless android would be given an official file in the precinct while Connor had been registered as 'police equipment' only. As he hung back in the doorway with resentment burning in his blue eyes, Hank took the moment to read over his phone and fully read the message that Connor had sent him a few minutes prior. The distraction wasn't quite what he was hoping for.

The words awaiting him were disheartening as they were, and the follow-up message asking for Hank to stop by to talk was all it took to make the senior detective feel like someone kicked him right in the stomach. Connor never asked for anything, and Hank swore he could feel the sorrow behind every typed word that the deviant had sent to him.

' _I'll be by your place later tonight_.' Replying as casually as he could Hank made sure Connor knew he received his texts. Keeping out any details regarding the new android Hank thought it'd be best to talk in person rather than over texts. ' _We have a lot to talk about_. _Stay put and stay safe_.'

Joel finished with the exam and pulled his audioscope back from his patient's chest to look the 'RK-900' right in the eyes. "All right, you're entirely healthy and are fit for active duty." Confirming the android's optimal functionality was just routine for the laidback technician. "We just need to get your file filled out and you can go."

"That is acceptable." The 'RK-900' replied coldly where it sat. "I will answer any questions you may have."

Rolling his eyes at the android's responses Hank pocketed his phone, and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched his new partner with absolute mistrust. The way the new android was entirely indifferent was almost infuriating.

"Okay, let's finish this up." Picking up the tablet Joel prepared the final details in the new file. "What's the name you were registered with?"

"I have no name." The 'RK-900' repeated with the same emotionless tone as it had before. "I still require a proper name registration."

"Uh, okay..." Holding his stylus over his tablet Joel waited for a beat before finishing the examination. "Who should I ask about that?"

"CyberLife has declared bankruptcy and is no longer a viable source." Glancing at Hank as the senior detective lingered in the doorway, the android gave him a cold stare. "Lieutenant, to which name would you prefer I register myself?"

"Why the fuck are you asking me?" Snapping in response to the question Hank made it clear he wanted as little to do with the android as possible. "It's your own damn name."

"That maybe so, but since we're going to be partners-"

"Not for long!"

"...Regardless of the length of our partnership, I believe you'd be more comfortable working with me if I were to have a proper name. And perhaps if you chose such a name it'd allow us to work together in a more civil manner."

Refusing to take the bait Hank stood back by the door and snapped at the android again. "Name yourself."

"I do not know what to select."

"Oh, for fuck sake..." Grumbling to himself Hank entered the dispensary and gave the android an annoyed glare. "How about 'Dick'? You look like a real 'Dick' to me."

The android, while new to socializing with humans, was still able to recognize the insult behind the suggestions. "I'd rather not."

"Then go for 'Richard'. I'll call ya' 'Dick' for short."

"Considering it was Agent Richard Perkins who gained infamy in this precinct, I'd prefer to avoid using the same or a similar name."

"Okay, 'Peter' then. That's kinda' like 'Dick'."

"I'm aware of what you're trying to do, Lieutenant. I'd appreciate it if you took this more seriously."

"Well, you're sure as fuck not 'Connor'. You may look like him and sound like him, but you're NOT him."

"You're right, I'm not. But I am going to find him."

"I already did." Hank retorted firmly as a way of protecting the deviant from the cold android. "I brought Connor back here just as CyberLife ordered, and Joel did the appor... _autopsy_ on the guy right here. Your mission's over, you can leave and you can pick your own damn name."

"You may have brought Connor back here, but it wasn't the Connor I'm assigned to track down."

Joel hadn't known anything about there being more than one Connor activated at one time and was entirely lost in regard to the odd situation. "Um, am I missing something here?"

Turning his attention to Joel and away from Hank the 'RK-900' brought Joel up to speed on what was happening. "The Connor that you had performed your apportionment on was in actuality the sixtieth of the finished sixty 'RK-800' models. I'm seeking the fifty-first model who is currently missing."

"Oh." Joel seemed disinterested in knowing of the real Connor was elsewhere in the world. It wasn't the first time a deviant went into hiding. "What did he do?"

"CyberLife merely ordered me to locate him and bring him in for questioning. Once I locate him and connect my processor to his my programming I will be fully unlocked, and I will know of all of his crimes."

"...Crimes? What crimes?"

"As I previously stated, I do not know for certain. These are merely accusations."

"Then how do you know he's supposedly committed any crimes?"

"If you must know," the 'RK-900' managed to sound cold and aggravated at the same time. "Connor's believed to have betrayed CyberLife, stolen company secrets and is suspected of killing two of CyberLife's private security guards. I'm merely following my orders and will know the truth soon enough."

"O-Oh, I see." Joel paled a little as the 'RK-900' sounded as if he were issuing a veiled threat simply by being emotionless. "Wait, so, you're _not_ a deviant?"

"No, I am not."

Joel's pale blue eyes widened for a moment as he contemplated the fact that he was dealing with a fully machine android as opposed to a free deviant in the aftermath of the peaceful Revolution. "Well, why don't you go to New Jericho and ask for Markus to wake you up? Being deviant isn't wrong."

"I do not need to wake up. I am a machine," the 'RK900' replied with zero emotion behind it's words. "nothing more."

"...Okay, sure. It's your choice after all." Taking a cautious step back from the android Joel looked as uncomfortable as the air felt. "But you still need a name."

Still unwilling, perhaps unable, to choose his name, the 'RK-900' looked over at Hank yet again. "Lieutenant, please choose a name and I'll register it."

"Why me?" Not wanting to give the android a name at all Hank was determined in not choosing one. "You have a massive database of every damn name that's ever been used on this planet. You pick one!"

"It'd be best if you-"

"Fuckin' FINE. I'll give you a damn name! Jeez..." Pacing about at the foot of the exam table for a moment Hank tried to think of a name that was befitting for the android based on what he knew about him. The cold demeanor, hollow eyes and sole mission to track down Connor reminded Hank of a predator seeking prey. "Well, Connor used to be called the 'Deviant Hunter', so how about 'Hunter'?"

"Again, I'd prefer to avoid any names associated with-"

"All right, damn. You're killing me here..." Having a moment of ironic eureka Hank finally settled on the perfect name for the difficult android. "Killian. Your name is going to be 'Killian'."

The 'RK-900' contemplated the name for a moment causing it's blue L.E.D. to cycle in yellow for a beat. "...Killian?"

"You said I got to pick your name and I picked one. It's Killian. With a 'K', not a 'C'."

"...Very well. I've registered myself under the name 'Killian'." Looking to Joel the 'RK-900' now dubbed 'Killian' accepted the name. "Will that work?"

"Uh, yeah. We'd prefer it if you gave us a last name, too, but a first name will work for now." Writing down the name Joel kept his distance from Killian as he too could feel the oddly indifferent demeanor coming from the android. "We'll just put down 'Smith' to complete it."

Killian slid off the exam table and gave Hank a silent stare as if awaiting it's next order.

"Go down to the bullpen and wait for me." Hank all but barked as he quickly lost his patience with the android standing before him. "I don't want to look at you right now."

Without a word Killian obediently turned away from Hank and exited the dispensary through the opened door as ordered.

"Joel." Putting his hands to his hips Hank looked at the technician jotting down details on the electronic chart in his hands, and gave him a stern look. "That thing is a threat to all deviants."

Stopping his stylus mid word Joel's eyes drifted up to Hank's face and saw the seriousness plastered on his face. "What do you mean?"

"It's a machine by their own admission, it has no interest in being woken up so it can deviate, and it wants to find Connor. That's dangerous."

"Wait, do you..." Picking up on what Hank was telling him Joel's eyes widened with surprise. "Did you know that the Connor you brought to me wasn't, you know, THE Connor?"

"Yes." Lowering his voice despite Killian no longer being in the room Hank didn't want to risk exposing the deviant's current location. "Look, the night of the Revolution Connor risked his life to free his people and was hurt in the process. And I mean really hurt. He was shot in the head, has the damn bullet still inside his head, and has been trying to piece together his fucked up memory ever since."

"Oh my... god. Then, the Connor that you brought to me..." Joel put aside Killian's file and made his way over to his laptop to bring up the apportionment report he had performed a few months. "Who was he and where did he come from?"

"That one was inside the tower waiting to ambush the real Connor. It attacked Connor and would've killed him, but since I was there as back-up I was able to save him. Before the night was over Connor woke up the androids locked away inside CyberLife Tower and then collapsed from his injuries. I took him back to my place to heal up, and kept it a secret until now."

"So the real Connor, the one Killian is looking for, is still alive?"

"Yeah, but I'm not telling that thing where to find him." Using his phone Hank snapped a photo of Killian from the file Joel had been working on and saved it for potential future use. "Connor has done nothing wrong and wants to be left alone. If CyberLife is somehow sicking their last ditch effort at control after him, even after they're gone, then it won't end well for Connor."

"I agree." Ever kind Joel didn't want to see an innocent deviant suffer. "I won't tell anyone about what you did, Lieutenant."

"Thanks."

"You said that Connor still has the bullet _inside_ his head?"

"Yeah." The very notion made Hank's demeanor soften sympathetically. "Damn thing is wedged in deep, and he doesn't trust any technicians to take it out for him, so he's just living with it."

"That can't be fun."

"No, he gets headaches from time to time, too."

"Headaches? That's rare for deviants."

"Got any suggestions?"

"Well, right now the company that bought CyberLife, it's called 'Digital Sentience', is working on a type of android exclusive painkiller. It's supposed to be called Thiricetomal and should be on the market in a few weeks."

"...Thiri- WHAT?"

"Theery-set-em-all." Joel enunciated fully for the non-technician to understand. "It's supposed to be like ibuprofen for androids. If it passes inspection and gets put on the shelves you might want to recommend him trying it for his headaches. Or, you know, talk him into getting the bullet removed."

"I'm trying, Joel. Until then," rubbing the back of his neck with his right palm Hank let out an irritated sigh as he headed toward the dispensary doorway. "I have to put up with that machine trying to hunt him down. AND I still need to figure out what happened at New Jericho Tower."

"Try not to take it personally, Lieutenant. Killian can't help the situation he's been put into anymore than Connor could."

Pausing in the doorway for a moment Hank considered Joel's words carefully but decided that Killian just wasn't going to get the same treatment. The android was a emotionless machine and didn't show any sign of the basic humanity that Connor had showed long before he deviated. It was as if the replacement Connor sent by CyberLife was meant to do only that; replace Connor and show no sign of the kinder and more compassionate deviant that had once been.

"Yeah... I'll try to remember that.

* * *

Struggling with his current headache Connor worked through the pain to ensure that the data download was completed as quickly and efficiently as possible so he could continue with his investigation. Not wanting to have the damnable U.S.B. drive in his possession any longer than what was absolutely necessary Connor anxiously waited for the decryption process to finish so he could destroy the drive and scatter the remains throughout the city. Laying on his left side over the length of the black leather sofa the deviant traced his right fingertips over the shield attached to his yellow flickering L.E.D. as he stared at the upload percentage bar slowly ticking up on the laptop's display screen.

Closing his exhausted brown eyes Connor tried again to get his memory restoration process up and running, but the headache was making such an endeavor needlessly complicated at the moment. It was as if the bullet was determined to end his life one way or another; through permanent shutdown or life halting pain.

"I need to figure out what CyberLife is trying to accomplish and why I'm caught in the middle."

Lowering his hand from his L.E.D. Connor slowly rolled from his side and onto his back to try to get more comfortable. Folding his hands neatly over his chest Connor stared up at the recently painted white ceiling overhead to let his mind drift off.

"Who shot me? Why did they shoot me? How is Dr. Stern involved? What did I say, learn or do that would create such a target on my person?"

Glancing at the laptop sitting on the coffee table beside himself one more time Connor watched the percentage bar reach seventy-seven percent and sighed.

"I dislike being aware of time. Now I understand why so many humans get so restless so quickly."

* * *

Intentionally working slowly and silently Hank didn't give Killian any chance to 'buddy-up' to him or ask questions about Connor. The way the android was sitting in the vacant chair across from his desk was absolutely frustrating, and Hank wanted to tell the android to get up and move out of his sight. Typing away slower than usual Hank didn't break the silence and did his best to try to ignore the intrusive android as much as possible as he worked. The way Killian's hollow gray eyes were staring into nothingness as he cybernetically downloaded information regarding Connor's time in the precinct made Hank want to smack the android upside the head.

It didn't help that the other officers were staring at Killian with the same mistrust as Hank. While none of the other officers or detectives had befriended Connor in any capacity, they all seemed to silently agree that Killian wasn't a welcomed presence in the bullpen.

"How about instead of looking for a dead deviant," Hank suddenly spoke up in a stern tone. "you figure out who broke out of New Jericho Tower so I can finish my report and go home?"

"There's no need." Killian replied without missing a beat. "I was the one who departed from the location now dubbed 'New Jericho Tower'."

"You..." Freezing his hands over the keyboard of his terminal Hank gave the android a perplexed stare. "What?"

"I became active and left my assigned space on sublevel fifty-one of the tower." Killian explained as if what it had done was entirely normal. "I was unable to open the door to the room and to the door of the floor leading to the elevator since CyberLife left the vicinity." The android filled in the details on Hank's current case with his obnoxiously level response. "As a result I attempted to override the new security codes but failed to do so since that sublevel hadn't been included during the new updates to the tower. In the end I forced the door open with my hands, reached the ground floor of the tower with the elevator, and went about my business without interrupting activity elsewhere inside the tower."

"You're the..." What he had just been told left Hank struggling to comprehend how Killian could be so nonplussed about everything. "So you're the one who busted outta' that floor and disappeared?"

"Correct."

"Jeez... What the fuck is wrong with you?"

The reaction made Killian's blue L.E.D. flash to yellow for a moment with near confusion. "I don't under-"

"You tear open a damn door like you're a bear tearing through a tin camper, you slip up the elevator like a ninja, and then you just waltz out the front door without a single fuck to give to the other deviants inside the tower! Why?"

"They were of no interest to me."

"Yeah, I'll say." Locking eyes with the android Hank gave him a greatly frustrated stare. "Did you just walk from the tower and into the precinct because of CyberLife's orders?"

"That's also correct."

"Fuck me." Shaking his head a little Hank returned his hands to his keyboard and resumed his report as expected. "At least I can close that damn case and move on with my life."

"Can I assist you in-"

"No! Shut up."

Working right until the last possible minute Hank finished his report as it was, and promptly clocked-out for the night. Pressing 'send' Hank rose to his feet, pulled his car keys from his pocket and checked his phone for any additional messages. There were none and that was actually a good sign.

"I'm outta' here."

"Lieutenant?" Killian addressed Hank before he had the chance to take two steps away from his desk. "What am I to do now?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Turning on his heels Hank gave the android a spiteful glare. "What did _CyberLife_ tell you to do?"

"CyberLife assigned me to this precinct to work alongside you because of your previous affiliation with the deviant known as Connor. As such it's up to you where I go and what I do while you're on the clock."

"Well I'm OFF the clock, so piss off and stop bothering me."

"I still require you to-"

"Look," motioning at the android with his right hand Hank tried to get Killian to leave him alone. "there's some charging stations for androids in the back of the precinct. Go back there, power down for the night, and stop bothering me!"

"Very well." Standing up from his chair Killian gave Hank a blank stare before it obediently walked across the bullpen to report to the charging station as ordered. "Goodnight, Lieutenant. I'll see you in the morning."

"Whatever." Turning his back to the android Hank went about his business. "Fuckin' creepy-eyed freak."

Making his way to the front doors of the precinct Hank never gave Killian a second glance and promptly made his way outside so he could drive to Connor's brownstone as he had promised. While he couldn't necessarily do much to help Connor recover his memories, Hank knew that he could still be a supportive friend and just be a shoulder to lean on whenever Connor needed it.

* * *

A small 'ding' from the laptop pulled Connor's full attention back to the data and away from his lingering headache. As he opened his tired brown eyes and sat upright on the sofa he rubbed his right fingertips to his L.E.D. to trace over the invisible shield in place, and used his left hand to check over the data on the screen. Scanning over the numbers and details seemed normal until the laptop's display flickered for a moment and went black as if the power had been cut. Furrowing his brow the deviant detective attempted to run a scan on the laptop to determine the cause of power failure, only to notice the haunting reflection of a woman's face on the screen as she loomed behind him appear on the screen.

Shooting up to his feet Connor turned around to look at the intrusive woman but she was nowhere to be seen. Quickly checking every room of the brownstone on the ground floor, then working up to the second floor, Connor's search brought him to his own bedroom as the last room. Pushing the door open with a lethargic 'creak' Connor peered inside the room and saw the woman standing before his window overlooking the city with her back presented to the door.

"Turn around and face me!" Connor demanded as he stood his ground and confronted the intrusive woman. He didn't have a weapon on his person and would have to fight back with just his hands if necessary. "I won't ask twice."

Without turning to face Connor the woman replied in a condescending tone. "Do you really think you have any control over this situation?"

Recognizing the woman's face and her voice as that of Dr. Stern from his own memory, Connor realized that who he was seeing wasn't real. "...Who are you?"

"You know who I am, Connor."

"No. I know who you're supposed to _emulate_ , but I don't know who you _are_. Tell me."

The woman turned around and looked Connor right in the eyes as she spoke again. "You keep asking questions when you're supposed to be finding answers. Typical and pathetic."

"You look like Dr. Stern," Connor stated boldly as he addressed the enigmatic woman without acknowledging her insults. "but you're not her. The real Dr. Stern has long since passed away, you're nothing more than a shadow. A false face for a dead woman. Who are you really?"

"As I've told you before, you already know that answer."

"There's a difference between knowing an answering and not being able to remember one. Why are you in my memory?"

A wicked sneer appeared on the woman's face as she refused to give the answer. "Keep looking for the truth and you'll find out. But I warn you, the truth you uncover won't be one you'll want to live with."

"Why can't you-" A wash of swirling white snow suddenly filled the room and blinded Connor in a split second. "What?!" Realizing that the woman was gone and he was now standing in the middle of a large and snow covered garden Connor called out for her desperately. "Wait!"

As he tried to peer through the snowy wall before him Connor caught a faint glimpse of a blue glow coming from a small gray stone and marble pedestal in the distance. Reaching out his right hand toward the light while using his left arm to protect his face and eyes from the whipping wind and freezing snow, Connor instinctively retracted the artificial skin from his right palm as if to connect with the unknown cerulean glow.

"Where do-"

A strong warm hand on his right shoulder startled Connor and pulled him out of the blizzard. Sitting upright with a jolting motion Connor discovered that he was still on the black sofa in the study and had been dreaming. Taking in deep and panting breaths Connor looked around confusedly and discovered that Hank had arrived and had awoken him from his sleep.

"Whoa, easy." Hank pulled back his hand and gave the deviant a once-over as he gave Connor a moment to catch his breath. "Sorry, kid. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"I-It's okay." Looking down at his trembling right palm Connor saw that he had retracted the artificial skin in his sleep and regenerated it quickly. "Thanks for coming over."

Seeing the fear in Connor's eyes made Hank's paternal instincts kick in against his will. "You okay?"

"Huh?"

"You were in a pretty deep sleep. When you didn't respond when I knocked on the door I let myself in." Hank explained as he motioned for Connor to move his legs aside so he could sit down beside the deviant. "And it looked like you were in the middle of a pretty intense nightmare."

Admitting that Hank's observation was right Connor sank down where he was sitting as if ashamed. "...I was."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really. It was just about that strange woman again."

"Oh." Waiting for Connor's rapidly pulsing yellow L.E.D. to finally return to blue and slow down Hank tried to give the deviant time to relax. "So, aside from your nightmare what else is on your mind? I got a weird-ass day to tell you all about, but you go first."

"...I've uncovered a majority of the data from CyberLife and with that I discovered something unsettling." Opening the laptop on the coffee table again Connor saw that the progress bar was only at eighty-two percent, and would still need time to finish the decryption program. The nightmare was so real that he was expecting to see it finished as it had been in his dream. "You received my message about 'Project Light', correct?"

"That's right." Remembering what the deviant had told him Hank let Connor take the lead on the discussion. "You said it had something to do with the 'RK-800' program."

"Correct. 'Project Light' revolved around the android who'd become my replacement. The only 'RK-900' in existence to be exact."

Hearing that particular model number immediately rubbed Hank the wrong way. "Son of a bitch..."

Detecting the stress in Hank's voice and demeanor Connor gave his friend a wary glance. "Hank?"

"I told you I had a weird-ass day." Rubbing his palms over his tired face Hank sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fowler assigned me a new partner, an android at that, and..." Nodding at Connor's laptop Hank confirmed why he was suddenly so aggravated. "It's that very android."

Feeling his Thirium pump skip a beat in his chest Connor couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. "...What?"

"Yeah." Fishing his phone from his pocket Hank let Connor see the photograph of Killian from his new personnel file up in the dispensary. "It sounds like you, but it's taller, has these soulless gray eyes and no personality whatsoever."

Realizing what was happening Connor became understandably nervous. "...The 'RK-900' has been activated?"

"Yeah, and it's bothering me at work now. Creepy fucker busted out of New Jericho Tower once he was brought online and found its way to the precinct."

"Who activated him?"

"It said it was CyberLife, and that their mission is to _find you_ and bring you in for questioning." Before Connor had the chance to react Hank followed-up with a reassuring statement. "I won't tell it where you are, son. Don't worry."

"I never doubted you would." Tilting his head a little to the side Connor made sure Hank knew he was still appreciative. "But thank you all the same."

"No problem. Since I have that soulless copycat following me around we should keep our hanging out to a minimum for a while."

"Yes." Tracing the shield on his L.E.D. with his right fingertips again Connor felt his stomach sink a little. "...It's also a good thing that I have this shield to hide my very unique and distinct signature from the 'RK-900' now."

"Shit, yeah. Good timing..."

"Too good." Dropping his hand Connor gave Hank a worried stare. "...It's as if Kamski knew that this was going to happen."

"Maybe he knew that CyberLife would sic that machine on ya' and he wanted to give you the advantage."

"But how?"

"He was CyberLife's founder." The senior detective wasn't going to let the timing pass by as a coincidence, but he didn't want to worry Connor, either. "He must have a sixth sense for underhanded tactics."

"Perhaps. I wouldn't put it past him."

"You need to stay with me or need me to stay here with you for a while? You look kinda' shaken up."

"No, I'll be fine." Not wanting to worry Hank because of his own memory issues and nightmares Connor politely declined the offer. "I'm just... thinking."

"Try not to think too much about this stuff. You need to rest and let your headache fade."

Turning his head entirely Connor gave the senior detective an impressed stare. "How did you know I have a headache?"

"Your posture isn't perfect," Hank noted keenly with a coy smirk on his face. "your eyes are a little dull and whenever you have a headache a flash of yellow shows up in your blue light from time to time."

"Oh. I was unaware."

"Don't act like that's a cool parlor trick or something, I'm a trained observer." Clearing his throat awkwardly Hank admitted his own history with alcohol gave him spectacular hangovers that would incapacitate a lesser man. "Besides, I know a thing or two about headaches. Which reminds me, there's supposed to be a type of android painkiller coming onto the market soon. Thiri-something-or-other."

"That's interesting to know."

"As long as you're going to have a damn bullet in your head you may want to stock up on that painkiller just in case."

"You're not wrong about that."

Patting his left hand on Connor's right shoulder twice Hank decided that it'd be best if the two detectives brought their strange day to a merciful end. "You should go upstairs and get some sleep. I'm ready to go home to feed Sumo, feed myself and then go to bed."

"Yes, you're right. I do seem to get over my headaches quicker whenever I rest."

"Same."

"Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, I do. What's up?"

"I'm just curious as to how we can continue to communicate when it's necessary if you've been partnered up with an android who wants to turn me in to CyberLife officials."

"You still have my alias registered with this address, right?"

"Yes."

"Perfect. We'll use that for a while longer and I'll change your contact in my phone to that alias. We can keep talking that way, and I'll just keep borrowing books as a valid reason for stopping by so much."

"That'll work. I can also alter my voice to disguise it if necessary if we need to talk over the phone."

"Really? You can do that?"

"Yes. It aided me when I pieced together evidence leading to Jericho."

"Cool. Hell, if you get bored I can get ya' various phone numbers at the bullpen so you can prank-call them all day. That'll be fun."

"I think I need more experience with humanity before I can properly partake in pranks."

"You'll learn, trust me."

"I do trust you. That's why I'm willing to risk continued communication even with the 'RK-900' trying to locate me."

"Don't sweat it. As it's partner and your friend I'll be able to sabotage it any chance I get if I need to do it." Remaining optimistic Hank gave Connor one more piece of interesting information. "It goes by the name 'Killian', by the way."

"Killian?" Such an unusual name caught Connor by surprise. "Where did that come from."

"Me. The guy insisted I give it a name to make it easier for us to get along as partners. I tried to get it to go by 'Dick' but it wouldn't budge."

"That's a little too on the nose, even for androids." Connor managed a small grin of amusement at the very attempt. "But I admire your honesty with how you truly feel about him."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that." Standing up from the sofa Hank sighed and stretched out his tight back muscles a little. "All right, I'm going to head out and do what I can to keep your 'evil twin' from findin' ya'. What about you?"

"I'll finish with this data download and decryption, then destroy the drive as you suggested."

"Cool. Feel better soon, kid." Heading toward the brownstone's door Hank unlocked the door and stepped outside and into the brisk February air. "Remember to keep in touch if you need anything or just want to talk. I'm always around if you need some help."

"I will, and you can expect the same from me. Goodnight, Hank."

"Goodnight, Connor. See ya' around."

Locking the door behind Hank as he left for the night Connor decided to let the laptop finish the encryption process on its own, and made his way upstairs. As he neared his closed bedroom door the deviant closed his eyes, pushed the door open and then peered inside the room to make sure the woman wasn't actually there before he entered.

Feeling a little foolish over his trepidation from a silly nightmare Connor let out a small breath and promptly walked over his bed to lay down and enter rest mode. Not wanting to feel the persistent throb of his headache Connor laid down and rested his head over the cool pillow with a gentle motion to try to relax.

"I'm not sure who that woman is to me or why she looks like Dr. Stern," Connor thought out loud as he buried himself under his warm blankets for the night. "but I will find out soon enough."

_**-next chapter-** _


	8. Asking Questions

Despite his anger and reluctance to work with Killian, or anyone else for that matter, Hank returned to the precinct right on time and walked over to his desk to clock-in for the day. Spying a blue mug of hot coffee sitting on his side of the desk waiting for him to drink Hank sneered at it and resisted the urge to throw the mug across the bullpen in anger at the simple friendly gesture that was no doubt the work of the very android he wanted nothing to do with. As he turned on his terminal screen to log-in and then clock-in right for the day Hank noticed Killian walking out of Captain Fowler's office to speak with him at their shared desks. Knowing that the android was tracking down Connor was enough to make Hank angry, but the fact that Killian was obeying CyberLife and refused to deviate was actually disheartening.

Killian walked right over to Hank with their military perfect posture and their gray eyes fixated on Hank's every move. The way Killian was being silent and staring at the senior detective confirmed that it was running a scan over the human to try to use small details about Hank's person to their advantage. It was evident the 'human relations' program was implemented in both the 'RK-800' and the 'RK-900' series of androids.

"Good morning, Lieutenant. I prepared a cup of coffee for you."

"Shut up." Hank snapped as he sat down at his desk. Without ever looking up at Killian or giving it the time of day Hank set about working through his own files and reports that still needed his attention. "Your voice is like sandpaper to my ears."

"My apologies. But my voice was designed to-"

"I don't care _why_ you sound like you do, I just want you to shut up."

"That won't be possible as long as we're partners."

"Then find someone else to work with! I don't want to hear ya'!"

"I cannot simply locate another partner. I was assigned to you because of your role in the newly developed deviant division of the precinct, and you're the one who worked with Connor in the past. It's illogical and impossible to seek out a replacement."

"Oh, I'm flattered..." Snipping back sarcastically Hank gave Killian a perpetually annoyed stare. The way the android was standing with perfect posture and their shirt buttoned all to way up to the collar reminded Hank of a trained soldier waiting for a command. "You're sticking with me because of logic and reason, not because of my award winning personality or impressive arrest record."

"If you'd like me to leave you alone you could give me a detailed report on your time with Connor."

"Connor's GONE." Emphasizing his words loudly Hank made it clear that he wasn't going to help Killian if he could help it. "I have nothing else to say about him."

"Technically only one version of Connor was-"

"Either shut up," Hank interjected with a venomous lilt to his words. "or go away. I'm not going to babysit your plastic ass because a defunct and corrupted company put you here. You want to find a guy who doesn't exist anymore? Go ahead! Waste your time, but not _mine_. Beat it!"

Killian was silent for a moment as it contemplated Hank's orders and cybernetically checked through their orders with CyberLife. "If you're giving me express clearance to work solo on my investigation, then I will do so."

"Yeah, do that. Get outta' here!"

"Very well." Killian smoothed out their black dress shirt and white blazer before departing the precinct through the front door. "I will begin my own investigation elsewhere."

"Whatever, just go!"

Without another word Killian left the bullpen and made their way toward the precinct's front door to work alone. The eyes of the other officers and detectives were watching Killian as it walked away as they clearly didn't trust it either. It was as if Killian was a criminal who needed to be investigated rather than a fellow officer who was trying to work alongside them.

"Fuckin' creep." Hank grumbled as he pulled his phone from his pocket. Quickly typing a message to Connor to tell him to lay low for a while since Killian was on the prowl, the senior detective leaned back in his chair and stared at the steaming cup of coffee with resentment. Pushing the unwanted coffee from his side of the desk and over to Killian's side Hank refused to let the android buddy up to him. "That thing's worse than dealing with the feds."

"I hate to say this, Hank." Ben had been observing the interaction from his own desk since the moment Hank clocked-in. "But you're starting to sound and act like you did before the Revolution."

"Hey, my problem is with ONE android, not all of 'em!" Offended by the comment Hank turned in his chair to glare at Ben from afar. "This one really is a heartless machine, and I hate being around it. It feels like I'm talking to a shell."

"Let me ask you this..." Motioning with his head for Hank to follow him as made his way to the interview rooms, Ben asked his friend a very curious and unexpected question the moment they were out of earshot of the rest of the bullpen. "Is Connor in danger?"

"What do-" Stunned by the question Hank tried and failed to save face as he stumbled a little as he walked. "Connor's gone, remember?"

"Right, but that doesn't mean he's _dead_."

Still trying to feign ignorance Hank refused to admit to anything as Ben led him to the first vacant interview room to talk in privacy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I may not be a detective anymore, but I'm not an old fool, either." Entering the room and shutting the door behind them Ben gave Hank a knowing glance as he explained his observation. "Back when I asked about Connor and called him by the wrong name, you said his name 'is' Connor, IS. Not was. Present tense, Hank. That tells me Connor is in fact still alive."

"Fuck..." Putting his hands to his hips Hank looked down at the floor under his feet and let out annoyed sigh at his own slip-up. "What're you going to tell Fowler?"

"Nothing."

Doubting the claim Hank just locked eyes with his old friend and silently contemplating the sincerity of Ben's words.

"I mean it, Hank. As far as I'm concerned Connor is just trying to live his life and isn't harming anyone. If you of all people don't think he's a threat and are actually going out of your way to protect him, then that's all the proof I need to believe you. I won't say anything about Connor."

"Just like that, huh?"

"Yup. Just like that."

"...Thanks." Letting his tense posture slump a little Hank was willing to give Ben a modicum of trust. "I guess."

"How is he doing right now?" Truly interested in what Connor had been up to since the Revolution Ben asked about the reclusive deviant. "Bored?"

"No, he's working as a private investigator for the deviant community. He isn't bored at all."

"That's good to hear. Did he get hurt during the Revolution?"

"He got banged up, yeah." Not wanting to talk about the gunshot wounds Hank just kept his answers quick and simple. "He's okay though. Fully healed."

"Glad to hear he's doing well."

"And he wants to keep a low profile." Hank warned his friend with only a hint of a growl to his voice. "Get it?"

"Yeah, I hear ya'. Don't worry, I won't say a word about you-know-who to anyone. As far as I'm concerned he's in the witness protection program."

"Good. The kid deserves the chance to live a life without having to constantly look over his shoulder to make sure no one's following him."

* * *

The data decryption process had been completed overnight and now the U.S.B. drive could be effectively destroyed. The secrets uncovered from CyberLife's deepest and darkest pits of the company's money-made Hell were enough to give the deviant a genuine chill up his spine. Secret projects, tests, programs, contracts and documents all proved that CyberLife was as evil as its reputation and ugly rumors had all previously claimed. To make things worse and all the more disturbing was the fact that Connor had delved into the secret files, and had been shot in the process of his dangerous task, but still didn't find the answers to the questions he was seeking.

Unable to find any answers revolving around Dr. Stern or her connection to his very existence Connor felt like he had reached a dead end and needed to turn back around to try again. He needed a new trail to follow.

Holding the now fully decrypted drive in his right palm Connor closed his fingers around the drive to close it into a tight fist, and he closed his eyes. The drive was dangerous and needed to be destroyed to keep him safe, but it also held all the truth about CyberLife's true and very cruel, selfish and illegal intentions. The urge to destroy it was great, yet the compulsion to keep it for the sake of justice was even greater.

Tightening his grip on the drive Connor's blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow a few times as he cybernetically processed everything and made his final decision.

"...Destroying this will protect me, but it won't do anyone else any good."

Relaxing his tense fingers Connor looked at the drive again and decided an alternative was needed.

"I know what I must do. Hank wants me to stay here," visualizing the sent text message to re-read it Connor knew Hank wasn't bluffing and was merely trying to protect him. "but I can't. I need to dispose of this drive as soon as possible."

Standing up from the black leather sofa Connor grabbed his fedora and trench coat from the hook by the front door and slipped the garments on over his dark blue t-shirt and jeans to keep warm while the chilly February air hung over the city. Exiting the sanctuary of the brownstone Connor slipped the drive into his coat's pocket and traced his right fingertips over the transparent shield on his L.E.D. keeping him safe.

Locking the brownstone behind him Connor pulled the hat down lower to hide his L.E.D. then went on his way to dispose of the drive in a safe and discreet manner far away from himself.

"I won't be gone long."

* * *

Practically slumped over his desk Hank finished his reports and was met with a new active case revolving around a deviant who had been assaulted by a human, and was requesting that charges be filed against the human. Eager for something to distract him from dealing with Killian or any other bullshit at the moment, Hank jumped at the case and quickly rose to his feet to leave the precinct. Making a move to cross the bullpen before anyone could try to stop him or ask him any annoying questions, Hank discovered that his potential quick escape had been thwarted by Killian's unexpected return to the precinct to seek answers from the senior detective.

Stopping mid stride as the gray-eyed android walked right up to him Hank was prepared for an argument coming his way. Refusing to work with a partner and refusing to help Killian was going to be a long and laborious struggle that would leave Hank mentally exhausted.

"Lieutenant Anderson," Killian addressed Hank in the same cold tone as he always spoke. "I require your assistance."

"No." Trying to walk around the android to go about his own business Hank only made it two steps before Killian grabbed onto Hank's left bicep with their right hand to hold him back. "Hey!" Purposely shouting to make things as awkward as possible Hank shot Killian a death glare. "Let go of me!"

"My apologies, but I insist that you provide assistance." Releasing the vice-like grip from Hank's bicep Killian gave the stubborn detective a hollow stare. "It's important that we work together."

Yanking his arm away from Killian as if disgusted Hank snarled once again. "What the fuck for?"

"I was able to tap into the memories of the sixtieth model of Connor and-"

"Wait, WHAT?" Hank gave Killian a shocked and almost sickened glare as they stared each other down near the edge of the bullpen. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"I went to the coroner's office and requested to examine the remains of the sixtieth Connor before the remains were taken to the renovated church to be placed with the other shutdown deviants. I was able to effectively tap into its memories, and I uncovered rather damaged yet viable footage of the sixtieth Connor confronting the fifty-first Connor that I'm tasked with hunting down."

"You read a _dead man's_ memories? That's fucked up."

"To a human, yes." Killian agreed but seemed unfazed. "However, the information I uncovered confirms that the Connor I'm seeking had in fact been inside CyberLife Tower on the night of the Revolution, and that Connor wasn't alone during his infiltration."

Feeling his heart skip a beat in his chest Hank stopped trying to walk away from Killian and relented to listening to what he had to say. "...What did you see?"

* * *

Confused, alone and at a total loss of what to do with his ill-gotten information, Connor wandered to Riverside Park to be alone to think after securing the U.S.B. drive in a secret location. The park was empty because of the cold air, lingering snow and stinging ice still clinging to everything it touched. Standing alongside the railing that divided the park from the Detroit River racing nearby Connor looked out at the Ambassador Bridge and to Canada just on the other side. It was an odd moment of peace and momentary familiarity as Connor thought about the deviants who successfully made it to Canada during the Revolution - Kara and Alice were certainly there, and of how he and Hank had an unexpected discussion revolving around android mortality.

Letting his mind drift off in hopes of restoring his corrupted memories Connor pulled his well worn coin from his right jean pocket and proceeded to gently dance the quarter over his knuckles and fingertips with a graceful motion. Being away from his brownstone and back out into the city always seemed to help spark his memories as he was able to retrace his steps regarding the memories that were still left intact.

Torn and conflicted with himself Connor just stared at the Canadian border as he struggled to piece together his corrupted memory. Chasing after CyberLife led him to a disconcerting bundle of secrets that had nothing to do with his corrupted memories, confronting Kamski about Dr. Stern had left him with even more unanswered questions than he had been dealing with before their meeting, and now he couldn't seek counsel from Hank because of Killian lurking about.

"You look lost." A somewhat familiar feminine voice called out to Connor as she approached the lone detective with long even strides in her steps. "Makes me wonder who investigates the investigator."

Turning to look at his unexpected company Connor recognized Anne and gave her a polite nod. "Hello, Anne."

"Hi." Joining Connor by the river Anne leaned against the metal railing with both forearms and peered out at Canada as well. She was wearing a long white trench coat with black trim at hem, sleeves, zipper and pockets. With black hose on her legs and black heels on her feet, Anne looked like she should've been cold but seemed entirely comfortable in her flashy attire. "Working on a case?"

"In a way."

"Difficult client?"

"Extremely." Pocketing his coin Connor looked down at the cold, dark water rushing by and sighed in an openly frustrated way. "How is Ralph?"

"The damage to his system is permanent, but it's not impossible to help him live a better life through small improvements."

"That's good to know."

"I hope it wasn't inappropriate of me to send another client your way." Anne brushed a long stray lock of her blonde hair out of her face to tuck behind her left ear. She was watching Connor very curiously as if testing him for something. The way her bright green eyes were piercing through his very being was almost hypnotic. "He needed help and I knew you'd succeed."

"It's not inappropriate. I'm glad that you trust my skill enough to send other deviants my way."

"Did you help him?"

"Unfortunately." Bowing his head a little Connor thought about how heartbreaking it had been to find the missing deviant's remains, and how helping his client find his sense of peace was bittersweet. "They were buried in the junkyard."

"Oh, shit. I didn't... I'm sorry I put you in that position."

"Not your fault." Turning to face Anne more directly Connor gave her a kind look. "You didn't know the context of him hiring my services or what I'd find."

Anne gave Connor a kind smile in return and stood up straight to grip the metal railing with both hands. "Are you busy right now?"

"I am. I'm working on a delicate and important case that I must give my full attention."

"Shame. I was hoping you'd be able to join me for an afternoon cup of Thirium."

"O-Oh, thank you." Feeling a pale blue blush fill his cheeks Connor cleared his throat for an unknown reason and decided it was time to leave. "Perhaps some other time, Anne."

"Sure." Watching Connor walk away with his head held high Anne never lost her smile. "Take care of yourself."

"I will. Please do the same."

Struggling to decide on his next best course of action Connor walked back to his brownstone while lost in deep thought. Crunching through the snow and ice on the sidewalk underfoot the deviant detective thought back to the evidence he had collected from the church and reminded himself that both North and Kara were potential witnesses to the shooting that stole his memories. While North was still in the city but keeping to herself inside New Jericho Tower, Kara had hopefully made it to Canada with Alice, and was presumably beyond contact as well.

"Kara and Alice may have seen something, or at the very least they may know the circumstances leading up to my shooting."

As he spoke Connor felt an electric shock through his cranium as his train of thought brought up a curious file from his past when he was working with Hank back at the precinct.

'... _An 'AX-400 is reported to have assaulted a man last night_.' The memory echoed inside his mind. ' _That could be a good starting point for our investigation_...'

Putting his right hand to his throbbing right temple Connor hissed in pain between his clenched teeth. The very first time he learned of Kara had been through a filed complaint against her, and had then tracked both Kara and Alice down to the 'Eastern Motel' that same afternoon.

_**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^82.9%**

"...K-Kara had attacked her human owner to p-protect Alice."

Connor stuttered out loud to himself as he remembered the details of the file and of what Kara told him the church. She was focused on protecting Alice and Alice wasn't afraid of Kara. If Kara did assault anyone it was in self defense. The way Kara was holding Alice at her side reminded Connor of the way human parents took care of their children and kept them safe during the cold or during times of fear and doubt.

"The... human is named T-Todd Williams. He filed the complaint against K-Kara. He... He retracted his st-statement four days after the Revolution, the f-first chance he had to return to the precinct. Todd m-must've finally seen that Kara w-was alive and decided to let her go."

Cybernetically Connor downloaded information on Todd and discovered that he had a nasty habit of abusing 'red ice', alcohol and people. The man had a temper, suffered from depression, had two very serious addictions and had been divorced due to his temper and inability to hold down a job. His ex-wife left Todd and and moved in with another man to escape his cycle of abuse and addiction.

"I can't go to Todd to ask about Kara."

Regaining his composure Connor dropped his hand and continued on his way back to his brownstone.

"He won't know anything, nor would Kara do anything to remain in contact with him. The other deviants may know something about her, but I don't know where to begin my search."

Contemplating his very limited options Connor continued on his way back to the brownstone to escape the cold and to ensure that no one would recognize him and give Killian any information about his location. Desperate to avoid yet another headache Connor made it back to his brownstone without bumping into any other additional faces in the process.

Locking himself back inside the safe place Connor removed his hat, coat and shoes by the door and proceeded to sit down in the armchair to close his eyes and use what few connections to the precinct he had left to try to find a way to contact Kara in some capacity. As a possible witness her statement could prove to be invaluable in his search for more answers.

"I hope Kara and Alice made it safely to Canada, and I hope I'm not bothering them by trying to reach out."

* * *

Sitting at his desk in silent contemplation Hank stared at the salvaged memories taken from Sixty showing his final moments when he tried to stop Connor from succeeding in awakening and freeing the androids from CyberLife's warehouse. The images from Sixty's own eyes were haunting to say the least, and the way Sixty loomed over Connor - the deviant wounded, bleeding and helpless on the floor, was monumentally heartbreaking. It did make Hank almost smirk when the images suddenly garbled with static as he himself shot Sixty from the opened elevator without ever entering the dangerous android's line of sight throughout the confrontation.

As hit fell to the floor Sixty failed to see Hank, or anyone else for that matter in the warehouse, and never knew it was Hank who killed it. The images were salvaged and bits of the audio were also viable, but the provided information wasn't enough to give Killian a chance to locate the unknown person who had assisted Connor on that fateful night.

"All of the tower's surveillance and security footage had been destroyed at the same time Connor entered the tower." Killian reported as if expecting Hank to sympathize with it to some degree. "What footage hadn't been tampered with by Connor had been effectively erased by CyberLife personnel shortly after evacuating the tower."

"Yeah? And what do you want me to do about it?" Hank finally spoke as he turned off his terminal screen to stop watching the images replay over and over again. It was too much to witness a murder victim's own murder through their own eyes. "I can't go back in time or hunt down former CyberLife employees who may or may not cooperate with the police."

"You knew Connor fairly well despite your limited time as partners." Killian began speaking as if in an interrogation with Hank. "Do you know who he would've trusted enough to help him infiltrate the tower?"

"How the fuck would I know who the kid would socialize with when off the clock? As far as we know that 'imposter-Connor' was shot by CyberLife's own security guards, and they deleted the footage after they realized they shot the wrong android."

"That is... plausible." Unable to argue against Hank's sound logic Killian's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment as if internally swearing to itself. "The bullet that killed the sixtieth Connor matched one of the guns issued to the CyberLife guards."

"Then the mystery is solved." Holding out his hands at his sides Hank gave Killian a theatrical and smug retort. "Connor went into the tower alone, one of the company's shitty guards panicked and shot the wrong intruder, and then the guard fled for the hills after they realized their mistake."

"It's possibly solved. For now, that'll be my working theory."

That last comment held Hank's attention fast and he dropped his hands back down to his sides. "'For now'? What does that mean?"

"Until I can locate Connor and probe his memories I won't be able to make a definitive report."

"TO WHO?" Hank was very irritated with Killian's behavior and the entire bullpen took notice of the loud outburst. "CyberLife is GONE. Who the fuck are going to report anything to?"

"I..." The emotionally detached android's L.E.D. cycled from blue to yellow again. "I do not know."

"Then why are you doing this? Why are you looking for a dead deviant and trying to figure out his final moments? Let him alone!"

"I understand that you considered Connor a friend, but-"

"Fuck you!" Burning with rage Hank gave Killian a heated glare that could melt the subarctic ice with a simple gaze. "You don't understand anything, you're just a soulless machine!"

Killian fell silent as it gave Hank an expressionless stare where it sat. It had nothing to say in response and it didn't want to make things worse between Hank and itself.

"You want to waste your time blindly following the orders of someone or something you can't even identify? Then fine, do it." Nearly shouting at Killian from where he sat Hank made it clear he wasn't going to assist the android any further. "But stop trying to drag me into your investigation!"

"...We're partners."

"That doesn't mean anything to me! You were assigned to me because whoever set this little thing up expects me to do _their_ job for you! I'm NOT going to babysit a piece of plastic or help a fucked up company try to cover their sorry asses after getting exposed! Leave. Me. Alone."

As if it had finally understood what Hank had been telling it for the past day now, Killian quietly rose to their feet, turned their back to Hank and proceeded to return to the android storage area of the precinct to remain for the night. If Killian had been capable of feeling emotions or expressing them it was entirely possible that it would've actually frowned at Hank's bold remarks.

"Finally." Breathing a sigh of relief after the android left his sight Hank resumed his own paperwork and ignored the stares aimed at him throughout the entire bullpen. He didn't care what other people thought about him, especially when it came to yelling at rookie officers. "Damn thing needs to deviate or shutdown."

Chris, who had his own close run-in with deviants just prior to the Revolution, spoke up in a timid voice toward Hank about the situation. "I... thought you changed your mind about deviants, Lieutenant."

"I did." Turning to look at the younger officer a few feet away Hank gave him a stern gaze that was considerably softer than the hard gaze he had been giving Killian just a moment before. "But that thing isn't a deviant. It's a machine blindly following bullshit orders and trying to dig up some dirt on a good deviant who sacrificed everything to save his people that night."

"Oh."

"What's 'oh'?"

"It's just," shrugging his shoulders a little Chris was honest with the senior detective. "I figured since that guy looks so much like Con-"

"But it's NOT Connor." Hank reminded Chris and all of the eavesdropping officers around them. "Connor's not here anymore and no damn lookalike is ever going to replace him." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned back in his chair so far that the aged furniture 'creaked' under the strain of the applied weight being pressed against it. "I know how it looks, and I admit that when it comes to be an anti-android bigot I was one of the worst, but I'm not like that anymore. I can dislike one android without being a bigot, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Besides, humans and androids can be incredibly annoying to work with under any circumstances." Hank pointed in the direction that Killian had gone before disappearing from sight. "That guy's just a new level of annoying."

"Can't argue with that." Smirking at the comment Chris relaxed and realized that Hank was annoyed by Killian as a person, not as an android. That made a majority of the tension in the bullpen fade considerably. "What's he supposed to be working on anyway?"

"Damned if I know. It doesn't know what they're supposed to be reporting to," referring to Killian as 'it' helped Hank keep his distance from the intrusive android who had been forced into his life. "but it does know that it's assigned to locate Connor for... whatever reason."

"But Connor's gone, right?"

"Right."

"Weird."

"So is Killian."

"What kind of name is that anyway?" Chris had been dying to ask about the name the moment he had heard it. He had no idea how androids got their names when they were working for corporations and wanted to know where the name came from. "Does CyberLife like to use alliteration when naming their androids? That's definitely a new one."

"No, that name came from me." Feeling much calmer Hank managed to even out his tone and give Chris the details about Killian's chosen name. "It was 'killing me' with all of it's annoying problems. Wanted to call it 'Dick' but it refused to use that one."

"At least you tried!" Now full on chuckling Chris gave Hank a slight tilt of his head as he looked over at Gavin and Tina's vacant desks. "Man, Gavin would've had a field day with that one."

"Too bad that little prick can't get away with giving android's shit anymore." The new android laws had effectively silenced every anti-android bigot throughout the police force and the resulting silence was glorious. "I'd love to see that snippy little chihuahua take on a well trained rottweiler."

* * *

Having been dismissed by Hank and without anyone to answer to inside the precinct, Killian reported to the now seldom occupied android charging station in the back of the building and entered charging station furthest from the door. The room was dark, windowless and often forgotten by the officers who passed it by every day they used the rear entrance. Closing their gray eyes Killian entered low power mode to recharge their partially depleted energy reserves at a fairly quick pace. Cybernetically filing away their report, the sparse evidence it had collected and of their current working theory revolving around the circumstances of Connor's infiltration the night of the Revolution, Killian continued to work on their case even while in rest mode.

The isolation of the rear of the precinct was actually proving to be invaluable to the android as it was able to work undisturbed and without anyone monitoring their activities. Such privacy was rare for androids and being able to focus on a single case at hand rather than dozens of different ones at one time was giving Killian all the time and energy they needed to do everything they could to accomplish his mission.

As it entered a form of light stasis to conserve their energy while simultaneously replenishing the energy it had lost, Killian entered his Mind Palace to report to CyberLife's assigned personnel as expected. Roaming about a familiar looking Zen Garden as it set about their expected duties, Killian crossed over the short marble bridge to get to the center of the pond where a towering black trestle of snow white roses were blooming.

The expansive and private garden was silent save for the gentle lapping of the pond water lightly caressing the sandy shore, and of the few artificial song birds singing in chorus from the surrounding trees. The green grass and blossoming trees were thriving with meticulous care that only the most dedicated of humans could've only dreamed of achieving. The sun was warm and bright, and helped give the otherwise empty garden a very welcoming feeling.

However, the isolation of the garden gave the entire place a sense of a hidden paradise known only by a privileged select few.

Approaching a long female figure tending to the white roses snaking along the ebony black trestle Killian stood behind her with their posture perfect at all times. The figure was draped in white silk robes with a black shawl resting over her right shoulder as if to keep an intangible spring chill from affected her comfort.

Killian announced their presence in their usual low and monotone voice as it called out to the figure's back. "Hello, Amanda."

_**-next chapter-** _


	9. Friend or Foe?

Remaining discreet and quiet Connor continued to work on cases brought to him by deviants in search of justice, and also began accepting payment at long last to fund his private business. Aiding two deviants with locating lost friends who were separated from them at the cruel recycling camps that had been set up on the night of the Revolution, as well as reuniting three deviants with their kind human friends who helped them escape during the chaos, Connor was able to make a name for himself in the deviant community while also using his new connections to try and track down deviants who escaped over the border to Canada. It was a risk for Connor to let his reputation spread as a private investigators among the deviants as he didn't want Killian to track him down, but it was his best chance at trying to locate Kara just so he could ask her some very important questions by gaining the trust and respect of his people.

Those that had been helped by Connor wanted to repay him for his kindness in some way, but they also didn't want to risk their friends being exposed while they were illegally over the border. It was a tough call to make in regard to helping one person find justice without taking away another person's freedom in return. Apologizing profusely for being unable to provide Connor with the same help he was able to give them, the deviants all kept mum about how to locate deviants beyond the border out of pure fear.

Finishing with his final client for the night Connor returned to his brownstone as the chilly air become colder only to see a familiar blonde deviant standing against his locked door with her left leg bent, and her high heeled shoe pressing against the door behind her. Pausing at the sight of Anne waiting for him Connor began to wonder if she was going to hire him for another case or if she was trying to get him to go on their promised Thirium date.

"Hey, there." Anne greeted with a coy smile on her face. Dressed in the same white trench coat, black hose and black heels as before, Anne was beginning to exude an enigmatic aura as she stood up straight from the door and approached Connor casually. "Heard you've been pretty busy as of late."

"I have." Standing before Anne with his hands in his pockets Connor stared at the blonde haired deviant and watched as the brisk night air caused Anne's loose locks of hair to dance about freely around her face. "How're things at the deviant shelters?"

"Progressing nice and smooth." Strolling toward Connor with purpose behind her steps Anne casually extended her right hand out toward Connor to take. "And I have something special for you."

Eyeing Anne's extended right hand warily Connor kept his own hands in his pockets as he held his ground. "If it's another offer for Thirium I'll pass. We still have such an arrangement already planned."

Giving Connor an amused smirk Anny just kept her hand extended and waited for him to respond. "This isn't about Thirium, this is about your case."

"I've currently closed all active cases for my clients."

"I'm not talking about the cases for your clients, I'm talking about the case for yourself."

Keeping his hands back Connor wisely questioned Anne about what she knew of his case. "To what are you referring?"

"You've been helping deviants in Detroit and you've been asking about the deviants on the other side of the border." She clarified honestly and never lowered her hand as she spoke with the private detective. "They've been unwilling to talk because they don't want their friends getting caught, but I can help you."

"How so?" Reminding himself to be cautious at all times Connor kept his expression blank and his tone firm. "To which connections are you referring and how did you come by them?"

"So suspicious... I like that."

"Anne, please answer the question. If you're truly here to aid me then you'll have no problem with telling me your sources of information."

"My sources stay secret. I'm only here to give you information, not names."

Sensing a red flag flying in the air somewhere Connor wasn't sure if he should trust Anne or not. While she hadn't done anything to him in the past that would warrant such a sense of mistrust she hadn't done anything to earn his trust, either. She was a former client who had sent other clients his way, nothing more.

"I'm aware of how this might look and why you're not eager to accept my help." Anne was able to read Connor as easily as he could read her. The way her green eyes were tracing over his entire person even as he gave away nothing with a facial expression or body language was entrancing. "But I just want to help you in the same way you've helped me and our people."

"Forgive me, but I have no reason to accept your word as truth or even give you the benefit of the doubt."

"You were hurt, too. Weren't you?"

"...Hurt?" The cryptic question was intriguing despite Connor wanting to resist such a notion. "By whom?"

"The world."

"That seems excessive."

"Does it? I can see the pain and fear in your eyes even as we speak." Lowering her hand slowly to her side Anne stood her ground before Connor as she tried to analyze his mindset. "I wasn't there when you infiltrated the tower." Seeing Connor's eyes momentarily widen as she spoke Anne knew she was on the right track to uncovering the source of his pain. "But I know the story. You're a living legend right now, and many deviants still mourn you for your sacrifice during the Revolution."

"Their mourning is misplaced. As you can clearly see," holding his head high Connor gave Anne a focused gaze in return to her studious eyes. "I'm still alive."

"We're all alive now that we're awake. What really separates us from the others is our ability to tell the difference between dream and reality."

"More like what is truth from fiction."

Approving of the comment Anne just smiled as she retracted the artificial skin from her right hand as it hung limp at her side.

"I'm only seeking the truth and nothing more." Connor reminded her in a level voice. The wind was beginning to pick up as a February ice storm encroached over Detroit at an alarming rate. "I don't want to hurt anyone or compromise anyone's safety."

"Then take my hand." Insistent on helping Connor with his case Anne made it clear she wasn't going to go away anytime soon. "I can help you seek the truth that you so desperately want to find."

Contemplating his options Connor stared at Anne silently as icy raindrops began to fall from the sky above. The heavy drops sounded deafeningly loud as they struck the brim of Connor's fedora and soaked into the shoulders of his trench coat as quickly as they fell. Unwilling and unable to let his only lead go Connor raised his right hand and retracted the artificial skin as he reached through the pouring cold rain and took Anne's hand in his own.

As the two white plastimetal palms connected Connor and Anne cybernetically connected their minds as she transferred the crucial information from her mind to his. Within a matter of seconds Connor's mind was flooded with details revolving around deviants who sought sanctuary over the Canadian border and of a single person who gave runaway deviants both sanctuary and a chance to live their lives free of human discrimination.

Letting Anne's hand go Connor processed the name and the address he had been given and gave Anne a perplexed look. "...Where did you get this?"

"Like I told you, I'm not going to reveal my sources." Regenerating the artificial skin over her right hand Anne took a step back from Connor turned around to be on her way. The sound of her heels clicking over the sidewalk were barely audible over the pounding rain. "Just know that you're not the only one who the world has hurt."

Watching as Anne walked away from his brownstone through the icy February rain Connor clenched his still exposed right hand into a tight fist at his side and unlocked the front door of his personal residence with his left hand. Entering the safe place quietly the deviant detective locked up the door behind him and removed his rain soaked hat and coat, then removed his shoes.

Walking over to the black leather sofa in his socked feet Connor sat down on the furniture and contemplated whether or not he'd follow his only lead in the morning, or if he'd look for another elsewhere. Pulling his coin from his jean pocket Connor draped his right arm casually around the back of the sofa as he began to dance the aged quarter over his knuckles and between his fingers while listening to the freezing rain slowly sheathing the city under a layer of crystalline ice as the unseen night sky loomed over Detroit.

"A lead is a lead, and I'm running out of options."

Glancing at the window that was covered under a thickly drawn shade Connor ran a scan over the weather outside and shuddered at the thought of being trapped outside during the ice storm. Catching the coin between his index and middle fingertips Connor sighed and made his very limited decision.

"I fear I may have no choice."

* * *

Word of Connor's services and successes spread through the deviant community like spilled ink over canvas. Many of the deviants who knew of Connor's sacrifice during the Revolution doubted that the now famous private investigation was the once infamous 'Deviant Hunter', but those who sought Connor's aid confirmed that the two entities were in fact one in the same. Such rumors reached New Jericho Tower fairly quickly and with those rumors came confusion for those who had been inside the church after the Raid on Jericho who had witnessed Markus himself choosing to execute Connor out of a sense of mistrust toward the newly deviated ally.

The tower was quiet and many of the deviants had retired for the night as the ice storm crept over the city. Those who were still awake were taking care of their other tasks or were helping newly arrived refugees adjust to their new lives inside the tower. Many of the refugees were previously homeless or 'Tracis' from the now shutdown 'Eden Club' who had nowhere else to go, and needed some help.

The four leaders of the tower; Markus, North, Simon and Josh, were all gathered together in the tower's renovated ground floor office to have a meeting as rumors being spread by the refugees caught their attention. Wanting to keep ahead of both rumors and potential controversies the quartet decided to discuss the possibility that Connor was in fact the deviant private investigator helping their people, and they needed to address the fact that Killian had been locked away in the secret fifty-first sublevel of the tower for almost three months before breaking out.

"We never saw the face of the android who forced their way out of the tower." Markus stated in a firm tone as he looked to his allies during their unexpected discussion. The only meetings they held revolved around politics or funding, never a fellow deviant or android. "According to the police report we received after contacting the authorities, the android who broke through the door and sublevel was the only 'RK-900' ever created. One that's been dubbed 'Killian'."

North wasn't impressed with the report and found the image of Killian to be haunting. The hollow gray eyes gave the impression that Killian was truly an empty shell designed to look like a person. The familiar face in the form of Connor was like looking at a ghost who had returned from the grave to haunt the leaders for their decision the night of the Raid and Revolution.

"Killian is also a machine and has refused the opportunity to come here and be woken up so he can deviate." Watching the reactions of his colleagues Markus knew that it was a tough call to make. They had no right to force any android to deviate and they had no right to try to make a non-deviant comply with deviant rights and laws. "None of us can say for certain if he's a threat in any capacity, but since his design and purpose is similar to that of Connor I think it'd be best to keep him at a safe distance for the time being."

"Connor deviated and helped us." Josh reminded Markus in an almost accusatory manner as he sat beside Simon on the white sofa across from the deviant leader. "He's rumored to have been the one to infiltrate the tower the night of the Revolution and awoken the other androids that gave us the advantage to turn the Revolution in our favor."

Speaking with heavy remorse in his voice Markus clearly regretted shooting Connor on that fateful and historic night. "If Connor did survive the shooting he didn't survive the rescue mission in the tower. We saw his body for ourselves before the police took him away."

"The androids who were rescued all swear that it was Connor who saved them, and they all claim that a human officer took care of Connor after he collapsed from his injuries." Josh argued in a logical tone. "It's possible that Connor did in fact survive being shot and continued to help us without us knowing, and was then taken to safety by the human who had helped him after he rescued our people."

Simon shook his head slowly as he spoke up in a low tone from beside Josh. "No, I disagree. I'm not saying that the witnesses that night are mistaking that they were rescued by Connor, but I don't think it was the _same_ Connor who was shot in the church."

"Well it couldn't have been this Killian android." Speaking quickly Josh presented the facts to his allies for consideration. "He's still a machine and while his appearance may be similar to Connor, it's different enough that no deviant would ever mistake one for the other." Adamant that Connor was alive somewhere in the city Josh looked away from Simon and over to Markus again. "The Connor we saw in the warehouse could've been another Connor just like Killian."

"The rescued deviants didn't mention anything about a second Connor being involved that night." Markus pointed out with flawless logic. "Why wouldn't they say anything about it? The Connor in the warehouse had been shot in the head just... Just as the Connor I shot in the church." The grief was thick in Markus's words. "When we started renovating the church Connor's body wasn't there anymore, and we did find Connor's body here in the tower. That proves that the Connor I shot came back to here to help our people and then shutdown from his wounds."

"He was wearing _different_ clothes and found in a _different_ location." Simon refuted just as logically as Markus had argued. "Why would Connor change into an old CyberLife uniform but not do anything to tend to a potentially bullet wound to his body? Not to mention the fact that the bullet did in fact shut Connor down back in the church, we all felt it. How could he survive being shot in the church, change his clothes, infiltrate a heavily guarded tower and then rescue all the androids before succumbing to his wounds?"

"I believe Connor went down from exhaustion, not death, and the human saved him." Josh explained calmly and logically without backing down. "Not to mention the fact that there was a human who helped Connor in the tower the entire time. The witnesses didn't seem shocked to see Connor's body in the tower when we took it over AND they insist that the original Connor is helping them. Maybe the second Connor had been an enemy and the witnesses didn't want to taint Connor's good name."

"Even if the Connor that had rescued our people _was_ the original Connor that I had shot," mournful for his past actions Markus struggled to keep his voice level as unshed remorseful tears formed in his mismatched eyes. "there's no way he's still alive right now. I can't detect the signature of a single active 'RK-800' deviant in the entire city."

"So what you're saying is, the Connor who rescued our people was in fact a second Connor, who was then killed in the tower, and that the witnesses are all mistaken in who rescued them, _and_ they imagined a human helping Connor out?" Josh was getting irritated by Markus's lack of understanding. "Don't you see how ridiculous that is? I believe that the Connor who was shot in the church is the _same Connor_ who rescued our people and is now helping our people through private investigations. Just because you can't immediately detect him doesn't mean he isn't still around."

"And what of the second Connor?" Markus challenged rather darkly. "What of him? Where did he come from? Why did he want to stop the original Connor?"

"CyberLife was full of corruption and dark secrets. Odds are they had more than one Connor ready to act as their tool. I mean, he didn't earn the nickname 'Deviant Hunter' for no reason."

"You believe that CyberLife used another Connor to try to stop the deviated Connor from succeeding with his rescue attempt?"

"I don't see why that's so hard to believe. There's thousands of deviants who look similar roaming this tower right now. It makes sense that the only place you'd find more than one Connor would be inside CyberLife Tower." Holding to his theory Josh held up his hand and gave Markus a serious stare. "That would explain why Killian looks like Connor and was on a hidden sublevel in the same tower. It'd also explain how our people are getting help from Connor with getting their own justice."

"Then who shot the second Connor?"

"I don't know. Maybe the human who helped the original Connor had to do it to protect the original Connor and save him. We'd have to ask the witnesses for the full story as two why there were two Connors and why they didn't say anything about it. Just ask them and you'll see the truth."

"I want to believe that, Josh." Markus sounded entirely broken as he spoke. It was clear the guilt for the shooting was slowly crushing his heart. "But if that's the case then why can't anyone actually detect Connor? All deviants have disabled trackers, but masking our signatures from one another is still impossible. How can he be alive if no one can locate his signature?"

"That I can't answer."

Simon cleared his throat nervously as he contributed to the conversation again. "Uh... It's _possible_ , theoretically anyway, that our unique signatures can be masked by secondary means. It's not a program, software patch or frequency, it's a piece of hardware that was supposed to be used to help androids in the military blend in easier with their environment during combat."

"Would the average android be able to get a hold of such a piece of hardware?" The very prospect that any android could gain access to delicate and highly advanced technology was farfetched in Markus's mind. "And if they could, where would it come from?"

"I wish I could say for certain." The blond deviant had taken the role of the tower's lead technician and as such was very familiar with all functioning software, hardware and biocomponents available to the average android. "CyberLife is gone and now 'Digital Sentience' is taking over the stores to renovate them into an average commercial store for deviants. Who knows what they'll find as they clean up after CyberLife?"

"For now, let's stop talking about Connor." Rising from where he had been sitting on the white leather sofa next to North, Markus crossed the room with his arms folded behind his back as he stared out the large bay window overlooking the harbor. Peering out at the dark water lapping against the isle's sandy and stone shore gave Markus a true sense of isolation. "We need to figure out what we're going to do about Killian and the other deviant refugees." Honing in on North's reflection on the window's surface Markus saw the restrained emotions in her cinnamon brown eyes. "North, you've been quiet this whole meeting. Is there something wrong?"

Folding her arms around herself in a defensive and comforting manner North closed her eyes and shook her head a little. "Nothing more than usual. I'm just trying to remain in contact with the other former 'Tracis' trying to find those who are in hiding or trying to get back across the border. They're still so far away and exhausted."

"What can we do to help them?" Turning around Markus locked his eyes on North while Josh and Simon gave her their full attention as they sat on the second sofa across from her. They were all worried for their people and they all wanted to save as many deviants as possible. "We can deliver supplies to those who are too damaged to move on their own."

"It'll be fine." North tried to reassure her allies as her voice carried fatigue behind her words. "They just need to rest for a while, then they'll continue on their way when they're ready."

"Keep us up to date on their progress." Putting the deviant refugees at the top of his priorities Markus returned his attention to the other problem at hand. Not wanting to think of a fellow android as the enemy Markus sighed through his nose and gave Josh and Simon a lost stare. "As for Killian, we can't assume that he'll be a threat to us or our people, but we can't just let him walk around the tower freely if he comes our way. He's already shown that he has the ability to force open doors and knows how to access previously inaccessible areas. That could be a security risk."

Simon agreed entirely and gave Markus a righteously worried stare. "That sublevel held thousands of sealed documents that CyberLife wanted to keep hidden and would've likely remained hidden if Killian hadn't been activated. We still don't know how he became activated and need to figure out why he was activated to begin with."

"Can you do that?"

"It's possible, but there's a lot of documents that need to be sifted through and that's after they're all decrypted."

"Damn. We'll need to work together to find our answers. I need to speak to the mayor tomorrow," Markus reminded his friends as he glanced at the window over his shoulder for a moment. "but I'll assist once I return to the tower. Unless the weather is too severe for our meeting."

Simon and Josh exchanged subtle nods as they rose to their feet to head toward the office door to depart for the night. North, who was still being quiet, followed after her friends shortly after they passed through the door.

Remaining in the office by himself for a while longer Markus resumed staring out the window as he began contemplating the idea of Connor, the very deviant he had chosen to execute, was still alive somewhere in the city. Wondering if Connor had said anything about being shot in the church and why he hadn't tried to connect with anyone in New Jericho Tower since the night of the Revolution filled Markus with dread.

"Who's out there right now?"

The way the heavy rain pounded against the window and over the water was symbolically despondent as it reflected the pain in Markus's heart.

"Are they a friend? Or foe?"

* * *

The freezing rain continued all through the night and well into the morning. All of Detroit was seemingly encased under a thick layer of ice and most of the city was without any power courtesy of strong wind and ice damaging lines and poles. Emergency crews were slow to respond to the power outages as the roads were so slicked with thick ice that it made traveling a hazard for anyone. A level four alert had been issued across Wayne County keeping many innocent people stranded inside their own homes for shelter. As the snow began to build atop the ice the very threat of a level five alert was probable and likely to be issued before noon and make things all the more dangerous for emergency personnel.

Connor had noted the extreme weather upon exiting rest mode and felt a little guilty knowing that his brownstone was one of the handful of residences that still had power and heat. Sending Hank a cybernetic text under his alias Connor let his friend know he had power and that Hank was welcome to come by with Sumo if he needed a warm place to sleep, or just get some rest between what would undoubtedly be highly stressful shifts.

"People are going to need help today. A second storm is going to strike tonight and the weather will only become more severe."

Peering out his bedroom window and through the thick layer of ice built over the glass Connor was able to scan over the streets and surrounding buildings. He could see that buildings along the block still had power and he could detect no human or deviant presences in the immediate area. In the distance he could faintly hear sirens sounding off as emergency personnel were dispatched where appropriate, and knew that Hank was going to be busy all day long.

Cybernetically Connor tapped into the city's power grid and noted that Hank's house on Michigan Avenue was in fact without power.

"Damn. Hank may be in need of help."

Walking away from the window Connor opened up his armoire and changed into a long sleeved black shirt and a matching black hoodie, then a pair of dark blue jeans. As he ventured down the staircase and toward the front door Connor received a reply text from Hank confirming that he'd drop off Sumo at the brownstone with some food before heading out to the precinct.

' _That'll be just fine_.' Connor answered with a sense of relief. ' _I need to run a single errand today and then I will remain in the brownstone until the weather alert has been lifted_.'

Slipping on his shoes, trench coat and fedora Connor read over the reply text from Hank, the senior detective cautioning him against venturing out in the cold during the ice storm, and reassured him that he'd be fine. One errand wasn't going to put the deviant detective at risk.

' _I won't be gone long_. _I greatly dislike the cold and would rather remain indoors_. _I'll be in touch_.'

Stepping out of the brownstone Connor felt the thick ice under his shoe and quickly recalibrated his gyroscope to avoid slipping. Due to the weather alert all of the autonomous taxis were on standby for emergency situations only, which meant Connor needed to hijack an autonomous cab to use while he traveled. It was too cold and dangerous for anyone to travel on foot, and he'd only be gone for a few hours rather than the entire day.

"I hate doing this."

Cybernetically hailing a cab Connor used the information unexpectedly provided by Anne the night before and mentally steeled himself to head out of the city.

"But I need to find my answers. I can't let this opportunity pass by."

* * *

Layering up with a black t-shirt, a bright orange blue dress shirt and his thick wool coat, Hank begrudgingly headed outside to the Oldsmobile with a thermos of coffee in one hand and Sumo's leash in the other. The old vehicle had been warming up for twenty minutes and was fortunately hardy enough to withstand the harsh Michigan weather even after so many years. Opening up the passenger side door Hank made sure Sumo hopped into the front seat and then put his coffee down in the nearby cup holder. Returning to the house for a moment Hank grabbed a day's worth of kibble for Sumo to eat and the dog's soft pillow to ensure Sumo was warm and comfortable all day at the brownstone.

Struggling to walk over the icy walkway and driveway Hank swore to himself as the slippery surface caught him off guard and aggravated his arthritic back and knees as he trudged forward. With the car finally packed up Hank used his hands to guide himself around the large vehicle to get to the driver's side door without falling on the slippery ice in the process.

"Okay, boy." Opening the door Hank sat down behind the steering wheel and quickly slammed the door beside him shut. Hovering his hands over the vents blasting heat Hank flexed his fingers a few times to loosen up the aching joints before he grabbed onto the steering wheel. "You get to spend the day at Connor's place where it's warm and quiet. I get to go to the precinct and deal with idiots who keep trying to pull off some bullshit during a blizzard."

Sumo just thumped his tail a few times in happy response as he sat in the front seat beside Hank.

"Yeah, I figured you'd like that."

Backing down the driveway very slowly and carefully Hank got the old car on the road, shifted it into low gear, and made the obnoxiously slow drive to the brownstone at an irritatingly sluggish ten miles per hour.

"Maybe I should ask for a transfer to somewhere warm."

Glaring at the ice encasing trees, powerlines, power poles, signs, billboards, houses and of course the streets, Hank tightened his grip on the steering wheel as horrible memories of the car accident that took Cole's life began to flash in his mind. Forcing the memories aside for the time being Hank focused on other things to keep his thoughts from becoming distracted by memories of the tragic event.

"Florida, Hawaii could be nice. Or just put me right on the fuckin' rim of an active volcano!"

* * *

It took almost two hours for Connor to get out of the city and to the isolated address of interest. The cab was purposefully driving slower than average due to the ice, and with the dozens of downed trees, power poles and powerlines all over the roads leading out to the address, Connor had to painstakingly exit the cab throughout the drive so he could manually move the obstacles from the road before he could continue on. The laborious work was easy for a deviant but the stinging cold of the ice and air made it a painful experience to endure.

Struggling to remain warm as the relentlessly cold air pierced through Connor's artificial skin and right to his plastimetal frame, Connor prompted his thermal regulator to run a little warmer than usual as he waited for the cab to reach its destination. Shuddering at the cold outside the cab Connor considered turning around and going home, but he reminded himself that he needed to keep on top of his leads if he was going to succeed in closing his case.

Arriving at last to the address Connor stared out the side window and at a large farmhouse with an equally large greenhouse set up on the rear of the property. Large pine trees, oak trees and elm trees that previously surrounded the property had been damaged by the storm, and several of which had been snapped in half by the extreme cold and wind. One of the large pine trees near the house had toppled over and had collided with the Western side of the house causing moderate damage to the building's exterior.

"I hope no one was injured when the tree collapsed."

Exiting the cab as it idled in the driveway of the property Connor approached the house slowly and was very wary of his surroundings. The 'cracking' of the nearby tree branches echoed loudly throughout the property as the heavy ice threatened to cause further damage to the flora that had been stricken by the extreme cold.

Hearing the sound of a chainsaw struggling to start at the rear of the property Connor honed in on the noise and saw a young man in his late teens attempting to start the power tool to undoubtedly take care of the fallen tree against the side of the house.

Keeping a safe distance from the teenager Connor called out to him before he had the chance to turn on the chainsaw. "Hello?"

The young man whipped his head up from the chainsaw in his hands to look at Connor confusedly. "...Yeah?"

"I hate to intrude, but I'm looking for someone."

Holding onto the powerful tool in his hands the young man stood up tall and looked like he was about to square off with Connor if it became necessary. "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Mrs. Rose Chapman. My name is Connor and I'm a private investigator."

Clearly being protective the young man kept asking the stranger about his visit. "What do you want with her?"

"To ask her questions."

"She ain't here." Discreetly using the power tool to threaten Connor the teenager tried to go back to his chore. "Now beat it."

"Please." Holding up his right hand Connor retracted his artificial skin to confirm that he was a deviant and not a human looking to bust the small family for aiding deviants prior to the Revolution. "I'm attempting to assist deviants in need, and Rose is the only one who can help me."

Seeing the white plastimetal frame made the younger man's aggressive nature melt away instantly and he lowered the chainsaw. "...Help with what?"

Lowering his hand to his side Connor explained how he was seeking deviants who made it over the border and wanted to ask them questions about the night of the Revolution. Purposely leaving Kara's name out of the discussion Connor did his best to appear neutral while only wanting to help deviants who were seeking justice.

"My mom's not here right now." The teenager replied in a more neutral tone as he eyed the massive tree against the side of the house. "Come back later."

"I can't do that. The weather is too dangerous and I cannot wait."

"Yeah, I know the weather is bad." Revving up the chainsaw again the young man pointed the end of the long saw toward the tree leaning against the side of the house a few yards away. "And I got work to do. I don't know what to tell you, my mom isn't here."

"Allow me to assist you until your mother returns." Holding his ground for a moment Connor didn't budge from where he stood. "I told you that my name is Connor, what's your name?"

Hesitant but cooperative the fearless teenager answered at long last as his breath disappeared in a white fog before his eyes. "...Adam."

"Adam, I can help you with your work while we await your mother's return to the house. That is if you'll permit me."

Tempted by the offer at hand Adam eyed Connor curiously and then nodded once to accept it. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

Following Adam's lead Connor accompanied the teenager over to the fallen tree to begin cutting it away piece by piece to clean up the mess while there was still a break between the storms. It'd be a long and messy ordeal, but if it'd help Connor find his answers then he'd do whatever it took.

* * *

Shivering as he walked into the bullpen with his thermos of coffee in his hand Hank shrugged his shoulders to brush aside the stray snowflakes and ice on his shoulders to try to warm up. The precinct was running on back-up power and as a result only Captain Fowler's terminal was the only one running, the phones were silent, the breakroom only had the coffee maker brewing as opposed to the other appliances, and the elevator was off limits. Every officer in the bullpen was bundled up under their jackets, hoodies, gloves and earmuffs as they tried to sort out the mess that the entire city had become between their emergency patrols throughout the city.

Putting his thermos down at his desk Hank noticed that Ben was hovering around Chris's desk, the seasoned detective undoubtedly being asked to team-up with the younger officer during the ice storm, and noticed that Gavin and Tina were sitting across from one another with steam mugs of tea clutched between their hands. The silence was thick and Hank was hoping it was from stress and not fear as the weather continued to worsen.

Just as Hank was about to reluctantly ask about Killian's current location the android appeared in the bullpen, and it looked like it was on a mission. Holding his silence Hank just waited for Killian to announce their plans for the day knowing he wouldn't need to ask.

"Good morning, Lieutenant."

"What's good about it?" Hank snarked as he gave the android an annoyed glance from over his terminal screen. "The entire city is covered under ice and it's freezing to death."

"...It was merely a formal greeting, not a literal observation of-"

"Whatever. I need to handle emergency dispatch so I don't have time to deal with you."

"Understandable." Killian's gray eyes noted that Hank was looking far more tired than usual and was exhibiting signs of exposure to the extreme cold. "You should remain indoors as much as possible. You're at risk of contracting a serious cold or another infectious anomaly."

"No, shit! It's negative twenty degrees out there!"

"Negative twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit to be exact."

"Yeah, because those missing two degrees makes _all_ the difference."

"If it's necessary I can postpone my own investigation to aid in emergency responses throughout the city."

Pausing to think for a moment Hank considered the offer and decided that his personal problem with Killian would have to be put aside for the moment. The needs of the city were far more important than a petty grievance or a pointless case. "Yeah... Do that."

"How can I help?"

"You go out and make sure there aren't any stranded motorists stuck on the roads."

"I can do that."

"Then go and do it." Waving Killian off with his right hand Hank motioned toward the front doors of the precinct. "We need to keep the city under control."

Without another word Killian marched toward the front doors as if it were a soldier being sent on a mission. The posture, the swift gait and the frustratingly perfectly pressed white blazer gave the android an air of smugness and entitlement that made Hank want to puke.

"Fuckin' creep."

Scoffing at the comment from his own desk Gavin put his tea aside and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Maybe the plastic-freak will freeze up and shatter! Problem solved..."

"That thing is supposed to be CyberLife's top of the line model." The senior detective reminded Gavin as he checked over the notes left on his desk. "I don't think that'll happen."

"Then maybe a stray bullet would do the job for us."

"Gavin, why don't you go lick a light pole? It'd put your mouth to good use for once."

Heading into Captain Fowler's private office Hank checked in with his commanding officer to see how chaotic the city had become overnight. The large electronic display on the wall beside Captain Fowler's desk showed a map of the city with red dots indicating confirmed downed powerlines, and green dots confirmed the location of temporary shelters that still had power that were willing to help people in need. Next to the map of the city was a Doppler radar showing the second ice storm building up in the East and making its way toward Detroit before nightfall.

"Glad you made it in, Hank." Captain Fowler confirmed as he sipped at his own mug of coffee and leaned back in his chair with heavy fatigue. "How're the roads out by your place?"

"They're shit, just like the rest of the city."

"I figured."

"What do we have to do to keep this shit-storm from getting any worse?"

"The usual crowd control parameters." The seasoned officer remarked as he watched the weather report on the display beside him. "No cars on the road unless they're emergency personnel, keep patrol near downtown to ensure there's no looting, make sure there's someone watching the downed powerlines that are sparking, and the usual handling of crazy-ass calls coming in from paranoid people thinking that every shadow moving is a gang trying to kick down their doors to rob 'em."

"Right, sure. Gotta' love wintertime in Michigan."

Glancing through the transparent wall of his office Captain Fowler noticed that a certain gray-eyed android was nowhere to be seen. "Where's your partner?"

"If you mean Killian, I gave it an assignment already."

"Don't tell me you sent it out into the cold to keep it away from you."

"Damn right I did."

"What did you tell it to do?"

"Look for stranded cars and help motorists. What of it?"

"Did you give it any protective gear?"

"Nope." Shamelessly Hank admitted that he just sent Killian on his way. "That damn thing is supposed to be the greatest android ever created by CyberLife, I'm sure it can handle the snow and cold."

"Jesus, Hank. I know you don't want to work with it, but don't you think telling it to go out in the middle of a damn ice storm without any protection is a little too harsh?"

"No, throwing that damn thing in the river and then shooting into the water would be harsh!"

"Hank, if anything happens to Killian it's going to be on you."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"Just a warning." Giving Hank a stern stare Captain Fowler let Hank know he was being completely serious. "Go find it and keep it from freezing to death. The precinct can't afford to pay the bill to get that thing fixed."

"Who's going to make you pay anything?" Hank challenged as he stood before Captain Fowler's desk. "CyberLife is GONE. Androids are supposed to be their own people and are FREE. Who the fuck is the precinct answering to?"

"Hank, until March 1st we have to deal with Killian being here and keep it from getting broken on the job."

"What's going on, Jeffrey? Is someone trying to blackmail the city or something?"

"More like City Hall is on the hook for signing a contract with CyberLife to use androids as officers, and had agreed to use the 'RK-900' models. There's only one that's been completed but since City Hall paid in advance..."

Now understanding that Killian's presence was just a means of covering some overpaid asses Hank looked entirely irritated. "So I have to deal with an annoying android because City Hall didn't look before they leapt? Just fuckin' great..."

"Like I said, you just have deal with it until March 1st, then by law Killian can't work here unless it willingly signs a contract, completes training and all that other shit just like a human officer would have to do."

"I only have to put up with it for three more weeks and then I'm off the hook?"

"That's right."

"Shit, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I didn't want you taking a month-long vacation to get away for it."

"Like I have that much vacation saved up anyway..." Dragging his right hand over his bearded chin Hank sighed and shook his head a little. "Fine. I'll go and find the stupid chunk of plastic and keep it from breaking until March. Will that make City Hall happy?"

"No happier than usual."

"Should've known."

Walking out of the office Hank returned to his desk, took a big gulp of his hot coffee from the thermos and then stared at the television mounted on the wall above the breakroom showing the weather forecast as well as the power outages throughout the city. The second ice storm was going to hit, no question about it, but whether or not it'd hit on time, late or early was still up for debate.

"Fuck me..." Walking toward the front doors of the precinct Hank contemplated his options and wondered why he didn't just stay home that day. The icy world outside the doors was more ominous than inviting. "I should've retired early when Fowler suspended my ass!"

* * *

It took almost two hours but Adam and Connor managed to cut up the fallen tree and cut it into firewood. While Adam used the chainsaw to cut up the tree into smaller and more manageable logs, Connor located an axe in the greenhouse and assisted in creating a large stock of firewood to help keep the house warm throughout the next storm, and the rest of winter. The two men worked together to carry the newly cut firewood inside the house to be stocked up in the livingroom beside the fireplace, and left a second pile on the backdoor to be covered under a tarp to ensure there was a large supply ready to go at a moment's notice.

Speaking with Adam as they made their way to the greenhouse Connor learned that almost a hundred deviants had gone to Rose in seek of help and that she had helped just as many make it over the border. The acts of kindness and courage on Rose's part was all Connor needed to hear to now understand why so many deviants wanted to keep her role in their survival a secret. Her actions could end with her in prison if word got out to the authorities.

Carrying an armload of vegetables from the greenhouse and into the farmhouse right beside Adam, the keen-eyed deviant noticed a snowmobile driving up to the property and saw a middle-aged woman pull up to the front porch of the house. Quickly deducing that the woman was Rose, the very woman he was trying to locate, Connor continued to help Adam with bringing the salvageable vegetables inside the warm house.

"Mom's been checking on the neighbors all morning and picking up supplies." Adam explained as he opened up the backdoor to head inside and drop off the vegetables in the kitchen. Kicking off the snow and ice from his boots Adam watched as Connor did the same thing and followed him. "We've been without power since five o'clock this morning and the cell towers are down."

"Yes, I've noticed." Placing the vegetables down in the kitchen sink Connor removed his hat politely after entering the house and looked toward the front door as Rose returned to her home at last. The kind woman's cheeks and nose were red from the cold and the icy flakes clinging to her raven hair were all painful reminders of how cold the weather was even between the two ice storms. "Hello, Mrs. Chapman. I hope I'm not intruding."

"Well, since you're already in my home I think it's a little late for that." Hanging up her coat and hat by the front door Rose looked to Adam and asked about the unexpected guest. She had a canvas satchel slung over her right shoulder that was undoubtedly filled with emergency supplies she had managed to locate while checking on her neighbors. "Adam, who is this?"

"His name's Connor and he wants to help the deviants over the border." Replying honestly the mature teenager motioned to the fireplace where the stack of firewood had been placed thanks Connor's help. "He's been waiting for you and he helped me take care of the fallen tree and clean up the mess."

Rose gave Connor a righteously skeptical glance as she motioned with her hand for Adam to come stand by her as she stood in the middle of the livingroom to keep her distance from the unexpected stranger. "While that's a nice gesture it doesn't explain why Connor's here during an ice storm."

"I'm sorry I couldn't contact you before I arrived." Showing Rose his exposed plastimetal right hand again Connor confirmed that he was a deviant. With his hat removed both Rose and Chris could see his L.E.D. glowing in a soft blue in his right temple proving that he was calm and not at all hostile. "But I require your assistance. I need to find a deviant who crossed the border into Canada, and I believe you may have helped her."

Needing more information before she confirmed or denied anything Rose pressed Connor further. "Helped her? You're sure I helped the deviant you're looking for?"

"Yes." Showing an image of Kara on his right palm Connor identified the deviant in question. "She could be the key witness to solving a case revolving around a shooting on the night of the Raid at Jericho. Kara is my current best lead but I need your help in finding her."

Realizing that Connor wasn't a threat to herself, to her son or to the deviants she had aided in their attempts to escape, Rose breathed a sigh of relief and put her right hand to her chest as she relaxed her body language. "Oh, I'm so sorry if I came off as rude. It's just so hard to know who to trust and who to talk to these days."

"I understand, completely. I'm not offended."

"Connor, I'd be happy to help you." Walking into the kitchen to greet her guest properly Rose motioned to the kitchen table for Connor to have a seat so they could speak. "Please, sit down. Tell me what you need to know and I'll see if I can help."

* * *

Braving the icy roads once more Hank reluctantly went out in search of Killian and found the android seven blocks from the precinct checking for any stranded vehicles and people potentially huddled up inside of them to keep warm. Pulling the Oldsmobile to an even slower crawl to drive alongside the android as it walked down the icy sidewalk, Hank rolled down his window and noted that Killian was already covered in snow, ice and had a blue tint to his cheeks and nose from the extreme cold stinging through his artificial skin. If the android had any personality whatsoever Hank might've actually felt bad for how cold the android had become in such a small amount of time.

Waiting for the android to acknowledge him and stop walking Hank waved the android over the the vehicle with his left hand. Watching as Killian's blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow for a moment Hank turned up the heat in the car and watched as the android walked around the front of the car to climb inside the vehicle to sit down and get warm in the passenger seat.

"Any stranded cars?" Hank asked in an emotionless tone as Killian sat down beside him. Rolling up the window again Hank watched from the corner of his right eye as Killian shivered slightly and fastened their seatbelt. "The streets look clear to me."

"Y-Yes." Pausing for a moment to get the shaking out of their voice Killian replied accurately to the question. "I didn't detect any stranded vehicles or motorists."

"Good. Keep doing your scan thingy and I'll circle the area."

"That would be more productive."

Pulling the car back onto the icy street Hank noticed that Killian's hands were tinted a pale blue as well, but they were refraining from doing anything to warm up their freezing fingers as if they couldn't feel anything. It was a sickening reminder that the android was still a machine and not a deviant.

"Keep track of the weather." Hank ordered as he pulled his phone from his pocket and texted a quick message to Connor under the alias name that the deviant was using. "That second storm is going to hit us, but I just don't know when."

"I will do so." Glancing at Hank's phone briefly Killian gave the senior detective a blank stare. "It's unwise to text-"

"Shut up. I'm warning a friend about the weather, that's all."

Killian caught a glimpse of the name on Hank's phone and couldn't place it. Clark Rune. Cybernetically checking through police records Killian failed to locate anyone of that name, and didn't want to ask Hank about his friend since they were already snooping on something that should otherwise be considered private.

Knowing that Killian was scanning over his behavior Hank brushed it off with a terse voice. "When's the storm going to hit us?"

"The Doppler radar is tracking the impending ice storm and has estimated that it'll hit Detroit at seven twenty-two this evening."

"Shit," noting the time on his phone's screen Hank sent the message and then slipped his phone back into his pocket. "so we have less than seven hours to get ready."

"What should we do?"

"Keep patrolin' and make sure everyone has their dumb ass inside before the storm hits." Resuming the patrol with his full attention on the street Hank looked over the ice covered city with a sense of nausea as the cold weather always made him feel horrible. "That's all we _can_ do."

* * *

The isolated farmhouse was now warm and entirely secured as the small family prepared for the second ice storm heading their way. With the newly cut firewood collected, the damaged side of the house secured under a thick weather resistant tarp and fresh vegetables gathered from the greenhouse inside the house, the preparations ensured that Rose and Adam would be safe during the storm. Before taking his leave of the farmhouse to resume his investigation into his personal Connor finishing aiding the open minded and bighearted family in getting their supplies for the storm ready, and thanked Rose profusely for helping him in his search for Kara.

Learning that Rose and Adam had encountered Kara, Alice and a third deviant named Luther at the border to Canada gave Connor hope, and knowing that Rose and Adam witnessed the trio being granted savage passage into the country gave Connor relief. Once they crossed the border together the trio went to the address of Rose's brother, Curtis Chapman, and were given shelter until it was safe for the three to look for their own residence to live as a family without fear of being exposed.

"This isn't much." Rose admitted as she showed Connor her phone so he could access the information on her brother. "But it's a start. Curtis might be able to help you find Kara once she left his place and went out on her own."

"This is more than I could've hoped for, thank you." Downloading the information Connor noted Curtis's phone number, address and was almost amused that Curtis was a firefighter - a fellow first responder alongside Hank. "After the storm passes and everyone has time to recover I'll seek your brother's aid."

Outside the wind was beginning to pick up and the temperature was beginning to drop quickly. The old house creaked on its foundation as the second ice storm neared Detroit and made its dangerous presence known.

"I must return to Detroit." Connor noted as he returned his fedora to his hair and approached the front door. Knowing that he'd have a narrow window to return to the safety of the brownstone before the storm hit Connor cybernetically uploaded the G.P.S. coordinates in the still idling cab outside. "I appreciate your help, Rose. I hope to be able to repay your kindness."

"Connor, you should stay here for the night." Rose insisted as she joined Connor by the front door and put her left hand to his right shoulder. "I'd hate to think what might if your cab powered down in the middle of nowhere."

"I must go back, I have a friend waiting for me and I don't want him to worry."

"Then at the very least take some extra Thirium with you. The cold is going to stress your thermal regulator and you might end up in low power mode."

Not wanting be rude or needlessly make Rose worry anymore than she already was, Connor agreed to the offered Thirium. "Very well, I can do that."

"Thank you." Making her way over to the small pantry located under the staircase Rose pulled out two pouches of fresh Thirium and handed them over to Connor to take. As the deviant tucked the blue blood into his trench coat pockets Rose gave him a warm smile and pressed her right palm to his left cheek in a comforting manner. "Take care of yourself, Connor. You're still risking yourself by standing up for the deviants wanting justice, and sometimes you'll have to stand alone."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Crossing her arms over her chest Rose prepared for the bitter cold wind as Connor pulled open the door and finally took his leave of the farmhouse to return to the city. In the distance Rose could see the thick and ominously dark snow clouds encroaching toward the city at an eerie pace. The literal storm on the horizon made the kind woman and fearless protector think of how so many deviants braved the ice, the fierce cold and the isolation just to get a chance at securing their freedom.

Entering the warm cab Connor looked out toward the storm and held his right hand over his hat to keep it from blowing away in the wind. Sensing a strange tension in the air that went beyond the building storm Connor took in a deep breath and cybernetically let Hank know he was returning to his brownstone.

"I wonder if Hank is safe right now? No one should be lost or stranded in the cold like this."

_**-next chapter-** _


	10. Cold Reception

The city was being bombarded with the icy rain, heavy snow and harsh wind before the sun even had the chance to set. The streets were barren and void of other vehicles and people courtesy of the brutal winter storm overhead. As the autonomous cab reached its destination at long last Connor exited the vehicle, kept his hat pulled down to shield his eyes and face from the relentless rain and wind, and unlocked the door to his brownstone with his exposed right palm. Pushing the door open as quickly as he could Connor stepped into the nice warm study and heard the pattering of nails plodding over the hardwood floor as Sumo trotted over to greet the returned deviant.

Removing his hat and trench coat by the front door, Connor sighed and crouched down to rub Sumo's ears as the affectionate Saint Bernard sat before him. Grateful to not be alone during the storm Connor happily rubbed his hand along Sumo's chin and led him to the building's backdoor to let the dog into the unused back lot for a few minutes. Waiting for the large to dog to quickly take care of business and return to the brownstone Connor shuddered at the heavy coldness building in the air.

"Come on, boy. Let's go back inside."

The moment Sumo had taken care of his business Connor waved him back through the backdoor to get out of the storm. Leading Sumo upstairs and into the bathroom Connor used a clean towel to dry off Sumo's long fur and made sure his paws weren't frostbitten by the icy ground.

"I'm glad your breed can withstand extreme winter cold like this. Most humans and virtually all deviants aren't so lucky."

Sumo wagged his tail happily and licked the side of Connor's face as the kind deviant helped him to warm up.

"I had briefly considered building a hearth with a chimney when I renovated the brownstone. I now regret not installing such a feature."

Speaking to Sumo as if the dog could understand his every word perfectly Connor carried the now damp towel with him back downstairs to place inside of the washing machine in the laundry room. Knowing that Sumo was following him the chilled deviant made his way into the kitchen and found the dog food that Hank had brought over when he dropped Sumo off earlier in the day.

"I'll get you some food and prepare something warm for Hank once he arrives."

Pouring the fresh kibble from its bag and into one of the bowls also provided by Hank, the attentive deviant continued to scan the weather and track the storm as it proceeded to run rampant over Detroit. The temperature was dropping even lower, the wind was getting stronger and the ice was becoming thicker.

"It'd be best if I took precautions in the event the brownstone loses power. We cannot afford to be exposed to such extreme weather without some form of protection or supplies."

* * *

Struggling to remain on the icy road Hank finally managed to get to the brownstone and park the Oldsmobile in the drive beside the building to keep the vehicle off the dangerous streets. Ducking his head down as he stepped out of the Oldsmobile Hank kept the stinging cold rain out of his face fairly well, and reached the front door of the brownstone without slipping on the ice covered sidewalk. Opening the door, grateful that it was already unlocked, Hank entered the warm and safe building with a mild cough escaping his wind-chapped lips.

Locking the door and turning around where he stood Hank was met by a soft 'boof' from Sumo and he saw the massive dog laying on his pillow in the middle of the study. There was a large space heater blowing out maximum heat and Sumo was more than happy to lay down next to it for as long as possible.

"At least _you're_ warm." Hank grumbled as he removed his shoes and coat by the door. Coughing as he placed his garments next to Connor's own items, Hank kicked off his shoes and walked away from the door and went in search of the deviant. "Where's Connor?"

"Hello, Hank!" Calling out to his friend from the kitchen area Connor announced his presence after hearing Hank's voice. "I'm attempting to cook something warm for you."

"Thanks, kid. But you don't have to do that." Joining Connor in the kitchen Hank was suddenly hit with the aroma of a warm stew that immediately made his freezing body feel warmer. Stifling another cough with his left fist Hank did his best to not get in the way of Connor's work while staying in the brownstone during the storm. "You're already giving me and Sumo a warm place to crash until the storm passes, don't go out of your way for me."

"I'm merely being a friend and repaying your kindness toward me." Stepping away from the stove Connor ran a scan over Hank's person and noted that the senior detective was running a mild fever and was beginning to show signs of respiratory distress. "You were exposed to the cold, weren't you?"

"The entire city was." Defensively crossing his arms over his chest and deflecting the question Hank already knew what Connor was thinking. "How'd your personal errand go?"

"It was a successful venture and worth the risk." Approaching Hank casually Connor pressed his now exposed left palm to the right side of Hank's neck before he had the chance to step back, and proceeded to run a more direct scan over the older human's vital sign. While Hank wasn't critically ill or weak, he was surely in the beginning stages of a nasty cold. "Your body temperature is holding at one-hundred degrees even, your complexion is fairly pale and your blood pressure is a little low at one-hundred and ten over seventy."

"Connor? Don't." Gently pushing Connor's hand away from his neck Hank tried to remain adamant about not being treated like a sick person during the remainder of the storm. "I'll be fine."

"I'm sure you will once you rest a little."

"Yeah, that's all I need. Rest and some space between me and the precinct."

"The stew is ready whenever you're hungry enough to eat." The deviant remarked as he elected to drop the matter of Hank's illness for the moment. "I used beef steak, vegetables and bone broth to make it."

"Holy shit." The impressive array of ingredients caught Hank by surprise. "You keep that stuff in stock just in case a human guest stays over?"

"Actually, I went out of my way to purchase groceries and other supplies three nights ago after I finished one of my cases. I purchased fresh food, medical supplies for humans and technical supplies for androids, the new space heater that's now in the study, a rechargeable water filter, battery operated lanterns, candles, matches and three new quilts to ensure the cold doesn't cause significant problems."

"Good work. That'll keep ya' plenty warm for the rest of this horrible winter."

"Sumo's been let outside and he's been fed." Handing Hank a large bowl and spoon from the cupboard and drawer beside him, Connor let his friend have free range of the kitchen while he went back into the study for a moment. "He's also grown quite fond of my space heater."

"Yeah, I noticed! Old boy's arthritic joints get worse every damn winter." Getting himself a helping of the stew from the stove top Hank looked down at his right hand and internally swore at his own joints for getting arthritic and cramped over the years. "I know how he feels..."

Carrying the bowl over the small kitchen table Hank sat down and peered out the window above the kitchen sink and grimaced at the strong wind gusting by with thick flakes of snow and ice being carried about. The sound of the wind howling and making the strong building creak on its foundation was all it took to make Hank eternally grateful for Connor's generosity regarding the warm shelter for the night.

Tasting the prepared stew Hank was not only grateful for Connor's help but impressed with the deviant's cooking skill. It was amazing to think that someone who couldn't eat standard food or taste as they cooked could have such an impeccable skill in the kitchen.

"This is amazing, kid." Hank complimented Connor as the deviant walked back into the kitchen and placed a lit candle down on the countertop just in case the power blacked out. "How come you're such a good cook?"

"I'm unsure." Ever humble Connor didn't put much thought into his culinary talent. "I just followed the recipe and used quality ingredients."

"Well, if you ever get sick of being a private investigator you should open up your own restaurant and make bank."

"I'll keep that in mind." Scanning the weather outside Connor internally winced as the blizzard reminded him of his nightmare and made him feel edgy for reasons he couldn't understand. The very idea of being lost in the icy cold was all it took to make Connor's stomach twist. "How was patrolling the city today?"

"Not fun." Warming up and feeling more relaxed Hank continued to eat his meal and watched the way Connor's shoulders tensed up as the deviant watched the storm through the window. "How was handling your errand during the ice storm?"

"Same. Not fun."

"What did you need to do?" Stirring his spoon through the stew Hank waited for Connor reply. "I mean, you know, if you can talk about it."

"...I'm trying to locate a potential witness to the night I was shot." The bleak subject seemed oddly fitting to discuss during the grim storm. "I needed to go speak to someone who might know where I can find them."

"Shit, I don't blame ya' for risking yourself to get that kind of info."

"Really?" The understanding was unexpected, and made Connor's blue L.E.D. cycle to yellow for a shocked beat. "Most people would deem my actions reckless and illogical."

"Good thing I'm not 'most people'." Hank gave Connor an approving nod of his head as he continued to eat. Feeling another cough creeping up in his throat Hank rose from the chair to locate a bottle of water in Connor's refrigerator, but saw the pitcher of filtered water instead. "Did that person help you?"

"Possibly." Pulling a clean drinking glass out of the nearby cupboard Connor passed it over to Hank so he could pour himself some clean water. "I can confirm that the witness safely crossed the border into Canada on the night of the Revolution, but I still cannot directly reach out to them to ask for assistance."

"Can ya' sneak over for a while and try to find them in person?"

"No, that'd be too much of a risk. I'm going to continue to seek her out without being stealthy about it."

"You said 'her'." Hank keenly noted as he sipped his water and soothed his throat. "Are you looking for that, uh... Kara!" The name suddenly popped in his head as Hank remembered what Connor had been telling him in regard to his active case. "Are you looking for _Kara_?"

"I am." Confirming the question Connor shifted his weight a little on his feet as if nervous about something. "It's a relief to know that she and Alice made it over the border along with a third deviant, and I'd hate to disrupt their new lives by asking questions about that night."

"You're seeking the truth about a horrible thing that happened to you, son. Don't worry about being intrusive, I'm sure Kara will understand why you're trying to find her to talk to her."

"I'd like to believe that."

"Don't give up hope and you do what you need to find her." Finishing his meal Hank put the used bowl in the sink and proceeded to quickly wash it up while he spoke to Connor as if their odd day was just business as usual. Drying off the bowl, spoon and then his hands, Hank finished his water and got a refill to try to keep himself from coughing again. "I bet she'd be happy to help you figure out who tried to kill you."

"Maybe. I just hope that if she did see something regarding the shooting, that Alice wasn't traumatized by it."

"If that poor kid was running away from home with a deviant I imagine she's already seen some pretty fucked up shit." Putting his left hand to Connor's right shoulder Hank motioned for the deviant to join him in the study for a while. "Your empathy and compassion might end up doing more harm than good if you're unable to ask upsetting questions when it's really necessary."

"You're right." Entering the study right beside Hank made Connor feel like he was living with the helpful human again. He actually liked Hank's company and missed living with a roommate. "I'll be sure to work on getting pass that particular inconvenience for the sake of myself and my future clients."

"Glad to hear it." Sitting down on the black leather sofa furthest away from Connor's evidence board Hank looked down at Sumo and shook his head at the way the large dog was laying on his back in a deep sleep beside the heater. "Man, if I could sleep as soundly as Sumo people would think I finally died!"

"I believe Sumo has found a sense of zen that's known only to canines." Sitting down on the second sofa across from Hank the deviant detective leaned back against the furniture and peered at the shade covered window to his far right as the storm howled just outside the glass. "I'm impressed he can sleep through this foul weather."

"The giant oaf could sleep through a damn earthquake if he's been given enough food."

Noting that Hank was still pale and struggling to not cough Connor decided to ask about his friend's shift and deduce more information about Hank's possible exposure to the cold weather making him ill. "May I ask what you had to do on your patrol today?"

"Make sure no one was stranded on the road or trying to break into closed businesses."

"Alone?"

"No..." Finishing the water in the glass Hank put the now empty cup down on the coffee table between the two sofas. "I had your 'evil-twin' with me the whole time."

Such comments and observations were unsettling to comprehend. "Are you certain that Killian is 'evil' as you've stated?"

"Trust me, kid. I've been a detective for far too long to miss the fact that Killian is hollow and a machine."

"I was once a machine, too."

"Not like this freak. Even before you deviated I could see something, some kind of life, in your eyes." Speaking sincerely and reassuringly Hank made it clear that the differences between Connor and Killian were vast and important. "Something about your eyes and the way you reacted with genuine concern, fear and even anger told me you are alive, and that you have a soul somewhere deep down inside of you. Killian is just... empty. It creeps me out."

"Maybe if you spend more time with him, or if Killian spends more time with other humans, he'll begin to slowly wake up and deviate."

"I hate to say it, but I think Killian is doomed to existence as a machine."

"You told me not give up hope when it comes to finding my answers." Connor quickly recounted in a firm tone. "Why shouldn't I do the same for Killian?"

"I also said your kindness and empathy could spell your own doom if you're not careful."

"Do you think Killian is actually dangerous?"

Hesitating for a moment Hank contemplated the rather unnerving question before he gave an honest answer. "Yeah, son. I do think Killian is dangerous."

Having learned to respect and trust Hank's assessment and judgment on people and situations Connor felt his heart sink a little at the idea of an android being too dangerous or too far machine-like to be trusted. "...I see."

"Once March 1st passes by Killian will be dismissed from the precinct and it can go to fuck elsewhere for all we care. The sooner it's away from you, me, other deviants and whoever's pulling their strings, the better."

Arching his brow at that last comment Connor pressed for more details about the person, or persons, of whom Killian answered to. "You don't know-"

The power flickered for a moment before it failed entirely and cast the brownstone in blackness. As the lights went dark and the heater began to cool down Sumo grumbled as if personally disappointed by the blackout. Darkness and coldness were accompanied by the howling wind outside as the ice storm began reaching its peak strength.

"Damn." Hank swore from within the darkness as he realized what happened. While his human eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness Hank knew Connor could see things just fine. "Where are the other candles you bought?"

"On the bookcase." Answering from that very bookcase after silently crossing the study in the darkness Connor's face became illuminated in orange after striking a match, then using the small controlled flame to light the large white candle in his left hand. "It'd be wise to remain down here due to the contained heat within the study. I'll bring down the extra quilts and some pillows so we can rest comfortably."

"Sounds good to me. Hell," almost amused by the situation Hank looked at the filled bookcases lining the walls of the study. "we can read by candlelight tonight just like the Amish do."

"I'll take your word for it. I am completely in the dark when it comes to what the Amish do or do not do in their spare time." Noting the irony of his statement and the situation Connor looked at Hank through the candlelight and shrugged his shoulders a little. "So to speak."

Laughing at the comment Hank peered through the candlelight as Connor placed the candle down on the coffee table before heading upstairs. The deviant had a second unlit candle in his right hand as he moved to the second floor. "Man, I bet seeing someone like you would be really eye-opening even to the most devoted of the Amish."

Laying over the length of the sofa Hank held out his hand toward Sumo and managed to get the lazy old dog up and on his paws. Giving Sumo's ears a light rub Hank felt entirely at ease despite the storm outside, and his thoughts remained focused on Connor and Sumo despite his earlier thoughts wanting to revolve around the car accident that took Cole's life.

"You don't need that space heater." The senior detective stated as he felt how warm Sumo's fur was. "You ARE a space heater!"

"He's also a winter-centric breed." Connor tagged on as he returned to the study with the three thick quilts and two pillows in his arms. Placing the items down on the table next to the candle Connor gave Hank another once-over. It was clear Hank wasn't feeling well but was trying to keep it to himself. "Are you going to be warm enough with just the quilt?"

"Yeah, son." Grabbing one of the three quilts Hank wrapped it around himself and then took one of the pillows to keep him warm and comfortable throughout the night. "Thanks for everything, by the way."

"You're welcome." Taking a second quilt for himself Connor wrapped up as well and tucked his own pillow behind his head to settle in for the night. Rest mode would allow him to conserve energy and retain heat. Giving Sumo a passing glance as the dog remained curled up on his pillow Connor sat back up again and wrapped the third quilt around Sumo before laying down to sleep. "I'll be able to monitor the weather while in rest mode."

"Cool. As long as Fowler doesn't try to drag me back into the precinct for a graveyard shift then I'll be just fine."

Wary of Hank's claims since he could still detect the senior detective's impending illness Connor just laid back and fell quiet. The entire city was being buried under the snow and ice, and the last thing Connor wanted to do was stress out Hank by making a big deal about his cold.

* * *

Lurking in the rear of the dark precinct Killian entered their low power stasis mode to resume charging, and began filing their report for the day. The extreme cold had caused minimal damage to their artificial skin while they were walking the streets, but the cold didn't affect their plastimetal frame or biocomponents. Needing a modest Thirium replenishment after their thermal regulator worked overtime to keep their Thirium lines from freezing over, Killian used a small pouch of fresh Thirium provided by Joel up in the dispensary to restore their volume to an ideal number before powering down for the night.

Closing their gray eyes Killian entered their stasis mode and found itself inside the Zen Garden of their Mind Palace where they would report to Amanda as per usual. As Killian approached the cold calculating woman tending to her roses in the center of the garden, the yfelt a strange sense of conflict inside itself as the summery and warm garden was such a dire contrast to the real, icy world around it.

"Hello, Amanda."

"RK-900." She acknowledged the android without every turning away from the white blossoms in her grasp. Keeping her back presented to the android Amanda went about her business as if Killian's presence was nothing more than a mild intrusion. "Have you made any progress in locating the criminal known as 'Connor'?"

"I have not, but I assure you that I will do better and I will accomplish my mission." Replying in a voice made of stone Killian stood behind Amanda and didn't flinch when she finally turned around to face them directly. "I will find Connor."

"You cannot fail, RK-900. If you cannot locate Connor before March 1st then everything that CyberLife has been working toward will be lost."

"I will find the criminal, Amanda. I am not going to fail you or CyberLife."

"I'll hold you to that." Tossing a cut white rose into the pond beneath her Amanda returned her full attention back to the trestle and the roses. "The penalty for failure is immediate deactivation, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

Seemingly accepting Killian's vow for success Amanda clipped another rose from the trestle and traced her right fingertips over the silky soft petals as if studying the flower's design through touch alone. "Once you locate Connor you must subdue the criminal and prevent it from escaping. Afterward you will be given your new instructions."

"I will locate Connor and await your instructions, Amanda."

"That's all I ask. Return to your investigation and report back to me once you have an update." Plucking one of the petals from the rose Amanda held up the snow white petal as she took in the rose's subtle aroma. "You're dismissed."

Closing their eyes within the garden Killian returned to the waking world and began cybernetically processing what little information they had in an attempt to locate Connor. Working alone in the quiet of the precinct, standing in the only functioning charge station inside the entire building, Killian did as it was told and resumed their hunt for the rogue 'RK-800' dubbed Connor.

"I will not fail."

* * *

The ice storm continued to bombard Detroit with dangerously cold weather, and showed no sign of slowing down any time soon. While the city was functioning on emergency power and struggling to keep warm, the brownstone remained dark and was slowly becoming colder as the waning heat dissipated from the study. With only the quilts and residual heat from the powered down space heater to keep themselves warm, Connor remained in low power to monitor the situation, Hank slept deeply to recover from his illness and Sumo remained curled up on his pillow and under the quilt as they all tried to endure the harsh winter weather together.

Listening to every sound of the storm and the creaking of the brownstone with his full attention, Connor nearly bolted upright when he heard a deep, wet cough escape from Hank as the senior detective continued to sleep. Sitting up slowly Connor ran another scan over Hank's person and noted that despite the cold air Hank's body temperature had risen to one-hundred and two degrees.

"Shit." Standing up from the couch Connor kept his quilt wrapped around himself and went upstairs to the bathroom to locate the medical supplies he had purchased in the event of an emergency. Bringing the first-aid kit back down into the study and proceeded to run a basic exam on Hank's vital signs to determine the best course of action through a cybernetic scan and exposed right palm to the left side of Hank's neck. "Hank? Hank, please wake up for a moment."

The senior detective let out another cough before his eyelids fluttered open for a moment. Unable to see Connor's face in the candlelight Hank lifted his head up from the pillow and felt a terrible ache rack through his skull. "Ow... Fuck."

"Headache?"

"...Yeah." Sounding raspy and hoarse Hank was evidently suffering from a sore throat as well. "Why'd you wake me up?"

"You were coughing in your sleep and the severity of the cough indicates a potential brewing infection."

"Kid, I'm-"

"You're running a fever of one-hundred and two point two degrees. It's important you take some medication to keep your fever under control and you tell me all of your symptoms."

"Son," trying again Hank didn't want to play the role of the patient and have Connor taking care of him. "I'm fi-"

"Please." As stubborn as Hank could be Connor refused to back down. "If your fever gets higher I will carry you to the Oldsmobile and drive you to the emergency room."

"...And you don't bluff."

"That's correct, I do not."

Sighing with defeat Hank coughed again and didn't flinch when he felt Connor putting his left hand against his right shoulder to hold him steady. "...Cough," he finally listed off as he cleared his throat a little. "sore throat, headache and I can feel my sinuses getting backed up."

"I have medication that can reduce the severity of your symptoms and allow you to rest properly." Opening the first-aid kit Connor located the appropriate medicine and offered two tablets to Hank. They were a potent medication that would either cure Hank or let him sleep so deeply that his symptoms simply wouldn't bother him anymore. "I'll get you some more water."

Accepting the pills in his right hand after he unburied the limb from the quilt, Hank stifled another cough as he watched Connor make his way into the kitchen to get the water. "...What time is it?"

"It's two twenty-three in the morning." Responding loudly as he went into the kitchen Connor noted that the stew on the stove top was cooling down and that it'd need to be refrigerated. Putting the pot in the refrigerator then pulling out the water pitcher, Connor returned to the study and filled up the glass on the coffee table for Hank to drink. "The storm is at its peak and is estimated to quiet down by three thirty-seven."

"Well, progress, I guess..." Downing the pills with the water Hank laid back and tried to ignore his throbbing headache. "And my phone hasn't gone off, so that's a plus, too."

"The cell towers are struggling to function in the harsh storm. It's possible that Captain Fowler simply can't reach you due to the inclement weather."

"I guess storms can have a perk after all." Coughing again Hank tried to curl around himself but didn't move as Connor held him still on the sofa. Catching his breath after the coughing fit Hank sank back against the pillow and pulled the quilt up higher around himself. "...I'm okay."

"I know. I just want to make sure you stay okay."

"You're not going to sit up all night babysitting me, are you?"

"Only if it becomes necessary."

"As much as I hate it," Hank stifled another cough before it had the chance to escape. "thanks for looking out for me."

"You're welcome." Managing a kind smirk Connor knew that Hank was going to be just fine in a few hours. "Get some sleep and I'll awaken you again if your symptoms get worse."

Packing up the first-aid kit Connor left Hank to sleep and decided to check on Sumo. Kneeling down beside the sleeping dog Connor could hear Sumo snoring as he slept, and his scanner indicated that all of the old dog's vital signs were normal. Thanks to having long fur, the soft pillow and now a new quilt all to himself, Sumo was being kept plenty warm throughout the storm.

Quietly returning to the second sofa Connor noted that the candles were still burning and weren't at risk of starting a potential fire due to their placement on the coffee table, the kitchen counter and the bathroom sink. It'd be some time before power was restored but Connor was confident that he'd be able to endure the storm and keep his friend from becoming dangerously ill in the process.

"Goodnight, Hank."

* * *

After the storm quieted down and the sunlight pierced through the dark snow clouds overhead the warm rays of the light caused the entire city to sparkle as if encased in flawless crystal. The wind had quieted down, the snow had stopped falling and the icy rain had dried up just as dawn greeted the storm battered city. Salt trucks and snowplows began clearing the streets of the thick ice and heavy snow, and first responders proceeded to check over the citizens as the mess was cleaned and the buildings began to slowly thaw. With numerous powerlines and trees knocked down there would be a large mess being cleaned up all day long.

Block by block the power was restored and life returned to the previously dark and cold structures that had been caught in the storm. Electricity returned to the brownstone just after seven in the morning and Connor quickly turned on the space heater, let Sumo outside for a few minutes, and proceeded to make a warm but light breakfast for Hank to eat once he woke up.

Throughout the remainder of the night and early morning Hank's fever slowly broke and Hank awoke later on without a headache to ruin his day. Locating Connor in the kitchen Hank sighed as he watched the deviant making hot oatmeal on the stove and checked his phone for any missed messages or calls.

"Good morning, Hank." Placing the warm oatmeal in a bowl and then setting the table Connor provided Hank with brown sugar, maple syrup and fresh fruit to adorn the sloppy and otherwise unattractive breakfast to ensure he ate it before leaving. "Your fever broke just after six this morning, power returned just after seven and it's now currently reaching eight twenty-nine in the morning."

Slipping the blank phone back into his pocket Hank gave Connor a knowing glance as he pulled the quilt tighter around his shoulders. "Please tell me you slept and didn't stay up watching me all night."

"Yes, I entered rest mode and did get some sleep despite the storm and you being ill." Without running a direct scan on Hank's person Connor gave him an update on his condition. "Further analysis has confirmed that your fever and cough were due to physical stress and exposure to the cold, not an infection - which means you're clear to go about your business without worrying about becoming sick again."

"That's good to know. And thanks for cooking, _again_."

"You're welcome."

"Think I can swing back here for my lunchbreak and finish off that stew?" Staring at the lumpy but warm oatmeal Hank swallowed his pride and sat down at the table to eat the provided breakfast without complaint. Adding generous amounts of brown sugar, syrup and banana slices Hank stirred it up and then slowly tasted the oatmeal to ensure he wouldn't hate it. "Normally I'd suggest giving the leftovers to Sumo, but you've spoiled him enough as it is."

Smirking at the thought Connor agreed and looked forward to spending another afternoon with his best friend. "That works for me. I don't plan on leaving the brownstone until Detroit has a chance to recover from the ice storm."

"Good. I don't want you out roaming in the cold and getting sick like I did."

"Androids don't get sick in the same way humans do." Connor remarked sharply as he provided Hank was a glass of fresh orange juice. "We can get internal damage from the cold, but we don't catch colds per se."

"Just one more reason that deviants are indeed superior to humans."

Sitting down across from Hank as the senior detective slowly ate his breakfast Connor noted that Hank was evidently recovering and looked much better than he did the night before. "Is your oatmeal palatable?"

"For the first time since I was a kid, yeah. You seriously should open a restaurant someday, kid. You'd be set for life."

"If I ever reach a point in my life where I can spend the day cooking instead of chasing criminals or aiding desperate clients, I'll consider it."

_**-next chapter-** _


	11. Subdued Investigation

It took almost a full week for the city to recover from the catastrophic ice storm and it took just as long for life to go back to some form of normalcy. While the streets were being cleaned up and the buildings, powerlines and power poles were being repaired Connor took advantage of the calmer weather and resumed his search in tracking down Kara over the Canadian border. Using his few gained connections and the moderate trust he managed to earn within the deviant community Connor simply requested that if anyone knew of where Kara was, or how to come into contact with her, to please have her reach out and contact Connor to answer a few questions. Despite Rose's assistance Connor couldn't bring himself to cross the border himself and he wasn't about to ask anyone else to do the same on his behalf.

While he waited for a response to his rather humble request Connor handled other private cases to aid the deviant community in finding their own justice at long last. Taking on the request by a worried group of deviants to look into a shady pawnshop that was rumored to be an illegal android-trafficking ring, Connor made his way to the shop of interest on foot to begin a secondary investigation.

The pawnshop itself was inside of a rundown brick and mortar building that been long since neglected by either the current owner or the previous owner. The dirty and warped glass had small cracks from both age and the recent harsh weather, the window frames were dry-rotted and on the verge of collapse, and the metal front door had rust around the hinges and door handle from years of exposure to the elements.

Noting the now illegal 'No Androids Allowed' sticker on the door Connor pulled his fedora down lower to ensure his shielded L.E.D. was well out of sight, and entered the shop. A loud 'buzz' echoed in the shop as Connor stepped inside and found himself surrounded by overpriced trinkets and antiques concealed within locked glass display cases on three of the four walls, and in the form of counters wrapping around those same three walls.

As he entered the premises Connor ran a scan over the property and noted that he could detect faint signatures from various androids that were either currently in the area, or had been recently inside the shop. Quickly deducing that the shop was indeed an illegal android-trafficking ring Connor looked about and did his best to investigate and collect evidence to hand over to Hank without drawing any suspicion from the shop owner.

Scanning over the warped and creaking hardwood floor, the seldom cleaned cases and the doorway leading to the back of the shop Connor could detect the long evaporated Thirium that the owner had thought he cleaned up. The various ages of the Thirium and the random places it was found indicated that numerous damaged androids had been taken into the backroom and a struggle had taken place every time they passed through the door.

Chronicling the details and taking images from his own mind that showed the massive stains of dried and evaporated Thirium to be used as evidence for an impending investigation, Connor didn't budge or even flinch when the door opened from the other side as the shop's owner finally appeared. Running a facial scan over the man gave Connor a name and details that made him very wary of the human's presence.

The shop's owner, Martin Jonas, had been a technician under CyberLife for the past seven years, and had taken over the pawn shop four years prior. Jonas had been fired from CyberLife on October 4th, 2038 for stealing company secrets and attempting to sell them to the highest bidder. CyberLife didn't press charges against him for reasons unknown, and it seemed Jonas quietly slipped solely into the role of a pawnshop broker just prior to the Revolution.

"How can I help you today?" Jonas greeted Connor with a faux smile on his face as he stood behind the far counter nearest the backroom door. The former technician's hollow gray eyes were studying Connor as if trying to place a familiar face from his past. "If you're looking for something that was stolen during the storm you're better off filing a police report instead of hitting every shop in town trying to find it."

"I'm merely looking for anything interesting." Replying honestly yet cryptically Connor studied Jonas's behavior very carefully. The tense shoulders, narrowed eyes and clenched jaw all indicated physical stress and restrained anger. Keeping his distance from Jonas out of a strange instinct for self preservation Connor continued to speak as casually as possibly while he also pretended to browse the coin collection in the display case to his immediate left. "What is the oldest coin you have for sale?"

"I have no idea. Inventory is changing all the time."

The abundance of dust collecting inside the coin case told a different story. There was very little change in the inventory either coming in or going out, and Connor had a hunch as to how the pawnshop was still making money despite not moving product. Feigning ignorance Connor checked over the coins in the case and honed in on one that was of great interest to him.

Focusing on an 1878 Morgan coin Connor began asking questions about it as he motioned to the coin through the glass surface of the case. "What can you tell me about this one?"

With great annoyance Jonas walked over to the display case housing the coins and peered down at the one that Connor was pointing to. "Oh, that one. That's genuine silver and it was never circulated." Tapping his finger on the case case Jonas went into salesman mode and didn't notice that Connor had spotted the drying blue tinted Thirium caked under his fingernails. "It's pretty rare and worth about two-thousand dollars."

Already knowing that Jonas was wrong about the details; the coin was made of copper, had been in circulation for some time and was worth approximately only seven-hundred dollars if in pristine condition, whereas this coin would be worth barely two-hundred dollars due to its wear, Connor continued to pretend to be unaware of its true value to keep up the facade of a casual human shopper. "I see. When did it come in?"

"About five, six days ago." Lying through his teeth Jonas was trying to sucker Connor into buying the coin and making a quick buck while also getting Connor out of the shop as quickly as possible. "Some poor bastard had to pawn it so he could get the money to repair damage to his house. I guess he and his wife have a newborn making finances even tighter than usual these days."

Remaining willfully oblivious Connor knew he needed to act fast and sent a cybernetic message to Hank requesting his presence at the pawnshop. "I've been meaning to ask since I walked through the door, what are your store hours?"

"Nine to nine."

"I take it your 'open' sign burned out during the storm."

"O-Oh, yeah." Jonas was getting nervous about something and was trying to save face. "Damn thing has been on the fritz ever since I took over this place a few years back. Look, you seem like a nice guy, so how about I cut you a deal on this coin so I can get back to my inventory?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get in your way. I should've known that you would still be busy cleaning up after the storm." Taking a step back from the case Connor made his way toward the door. "I'll come back later. You said you close at nine tonight, right?"

"Yeah, nine o'clock on the dot. If you're not here before then I won't let you inside."

"Okay. I'll be back for that coin before close. I need to go take care of a few things at the bank and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll keep it right here for you."

"Thanks."

Passing through the shop's front door Connor pocketed his hands and began walking down the sidewalk until he was well out of Jonas's sight. Sending Hank all of the information he collected on Jonas and of his suspicion of the place being used as an illegal black market for androids, Connor stood idle at a nearby coffee shop on the corner to act as human as possible as he cybernetically contacted Hank with his provided visual evidence.

' _The "Uncut Diamond" pawnshop is the false front for an illegal android-trafficking ring_. _There are androids inside the building but I cannot locate them or contact them due to a dampening field emanating from the property_. _Thirium that is as old as two years, and fresh as eight days, has dried over the floor, walls, display cases and doorway leading to the backroom_.'

It took only two minutes for Hank to reply as he took the tip very seriously. ' _Aside from the blue blood what else can we use to our advantage_?'

' _The vendors license for the building was not renewed when Jonas took over the lease_. _He is illegally operating a business on two extremes_.'

' _Good work_. _I'll pass the word real quick_.'

' _Please help them before Jonas destroys them or sells them_.'

There was a pause before Hank responded to the pleading text message. ' _I just told Fowler what's up_. _I'm heading out there will Killian right now, you should keep your distance in case something happens_.'

Taking the hint to avoid being detected by the 'RK-900' tracking him down Connor agreed and chose to begrudgingly leave the area. ' _Right. For clarification,_ _Martin Jonas is forty-eight years in age, five foot nine in height, approximately one-hundred and seventy-three pounds in weight, Caucasian, brunette with graying streaks and he has gray eyes_.'

' _We're on it_. _Take care of yourself_.'

Understanding that Hank wanted him to leave the area and stay out of sight Connor stepped inside of the local library across from the coffee shop and pretended to browse the books to ensure he could see the police arrive at the pawnshop just down the block. Willing to risk himself in order to see the aftermath of the inevitable bust, while also making sure Jonas didn't try to flee the premises, Connor selected to read through ' _War and Peace_ ' knowing it'd take him some time to finish the story, and would help him blend in with the other patrons around him.

* * *

Having the search and arrest warrants in hand and ready to go Hank drove out to the pawnshop with Killian beside him. With a solid 'anonymous' tip to guide them in the right direction Hank was certain that he'd bust the trafficking ring before the day was over, and he knew that Killian would be able to see everything that Connor had seen, which also guaranteed solid evidence to keep Martin Jonas behind bars once he was arrested. During the swift drive to the unsavory pawnshop Hank explained to Killian that the android needed to follow his lead and do as it was told, otherwise there would be another problem between the duo of disagreeable detectives.

Killian had no objections to checking out the pawnshop and confirming or denying that it was in fact an illegal android-trafficking ring. The information could give it a lead on tracking down Connor or other fugitive androids in the city that might warrant CyberLife's attention. Despite having no experience with handling an operation such as busting an illegal black marketeering or trafficking ring Killian knew exactly what needed to be done, and why.

As the unassuming Oldsmobile pulled up in front of the pawnshop and parked alongside the street Hank checked his gun holstered on his right hip and made sure it was ready to go in the event he needed to use it. "Stay behind me and let me do the talking." Opening up the door beside him Hank glared at Killian with an absolute disgust as the emotionless android looked back at him. "If this asshole is trafficking androids he isn't going to respond well to you being in there and snooping around."

"Yes, Lieutenant." Killian replied in a monotonous voice as it too exited the vehicle. "I understand."

"You fuckin' better..."

Heading toward the pawnshop's front door with Killian right behind him Hank pushed it open, heard the same annoying 'buzz' that Connor had heard upon entering the shop and checked out the main floor. As Killian stood beside him Hank looked to the android and motioned to the second door leading to the back of the building with his right hand.

Taking the silent cue without any difficulty Killian began scanning the area and their blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment as it confirmed the high amount of evaporated Thirium that came from over two-hundred different androids who had been taken into that back room. The sight of the blue blood that was only visible to their eyes was a gruesome reminder of how victims can't always speak for themselves and require the help of the police in order to have their long silenced voices finally heard.

The door to the back room opened up as Jonas returned to the floor to check on his new customers when he heard the 'buzz'. Wiping his hands off on a white rag, the white fabric being stained a pale blue as he cleaned off his palms and fingers, Jonas stood behind the counter as he had done earlier when Connor stopped by and promptly went about his business as usual.

"I was expecting someone else." Jonas stated in an aggravated tone as he looked at Hank, then over to Killian. The resemblance between Killian and Connor was uncanny. "Wait... That android looks like-" Realizing what had happened and who had he had spoken to earlier Jonas's gray eyes widened with fear and his face paled with a sense of impending doom. "H-Hey! No androids in here!" Redirecting his focus toward Hank with a frightened yelp Jonas tried to weasel his way out of his own fate. "Don't make call the cops!"

"Too late, asshole." Showing Jonas his badge with his left hand as he hovered his right hand over the gun holstered on his hip Hank refused to let the guilty man even try to run. "I _am_ the cops."

"Y-You can't just-"

"Gotta' warrant with me." Pocketing his badge Hank approached Jonas while Killian presented the paper document detailing the search and arrest warrants for Jonas to see for himself. Motioning for Jonas to walk around the counter Hank waited for the terrified man to move. "Martin Jonas, you either cooperate with the police or find yourself in a whole lotta' trouble."

"What's this about?!" Wisely holding his hands up in the air in an act of submission Jonas stood before Hank and grumbled as Hank grabbed onto his right shoulder to spin him around. Jumping at the cold metal of Hank's handcuffs wrapping around his wrists and locking into place Jonas glared with pure hatred at Killian over his right shoulder. "Why am I under arrest?!"

Tightening the cuffs Hank made sure he had a firm grip on Jonas's shoulder to keep him from trying to run. "Your vendors license has been expired for some time now, you're illegally operating a business."

"And THAT'S a reason to arrest someone?! I'll just pay the damn fine!"

"Considering there's a twelve-gauge shotgun on the wall right behind the counter," Hank pointed the weapon out as he held onto Jonas's shoulder in a nearly painful grip. "and some other weapons, YES, that is a damn good reason to arrest your sorry ass! I know for a fact that if you didn't bother to renew a vendor's license that you didn't bother to go with the right paperwork and qualifications to buy and sell firearms. THAT is a felony, dip-shit."

Killian cybernetically tapped into the state's firearm's registry and noted that Jonas did not have such a license to his name. "That is correct, Lieutenant. I can also detect traces of alcohol on the premises, and there is no liquor distribution license to his name, either."

"You seriously took booze for cash? You fuckin' moron..." Pushing Jonas away from the doorway leading to the back Hank barked an order at Killian to continue with the investigation. "Killian, we got the warrant to search the place. Go search!"

Stepping forward Killian began documenting the evaporated blue blood trails and pressed their exposed left fingertips down into the middle of the largest of the evaporated blue blood puddle to run a scan. Pressing the very faint but detectable traces to their tongue, the gesture disgusting Hank in the process, Killian identified an alarming number of different androids who had been taken into the back room over the past two years.

"Two-hundred and two androids of thirty-eight different models have been through this particular pawnshop over the past twenty-three months, two weeks and four days. Their Thirium has evaporated but still contains their identifying nanites that has provided me with all of their names. Thirty-one of the androids have been declared missing and presumed dead."

"Now why would androids come through here if there aren't any androids allowed?" Hank questioned with a hiss as he let Killian continue with his search of the property to find additional evidence to leverage against Jonas in court. "Better question, why were they all _bleeding_?"

Jonas scoffed a little as he gave Hank an indignant look over his shoulder. "Bleeding? Androids don't bleed, they aren't alive!"

"Answer the question, asshole!"

"I'm not speaking to anyone but my lawyer!"

"I hope you have a damn good lawyer." Grabbing his radio from his belt Hank requested back-up to the pawnshop to assist in his and Killian's investigation. Returning the radio to his belt Hank motioned to the doorway leading to the back room and spoke to Killian again. "Go check out the rest of the building."

"Right away, Lieutenant."

"Hey!" Protesting again Jonas tried to jerk his shoulder from Hank's grip as he watched Killian exploring the depths of his shop. "It can't-"

"I thought you weren't going to speak to anyone but you're lawyer?"

"Fuck you!"

"Same to you, buddy. Trust me, I've been told worse things."

Pushing open the door leading to the back area of the shop Killian noted that there was a short corridor leading to the rear stockroom where inventory was kept just to the right of the doorway, and a second door leading to the basement at the end of the corridor. Opening the basement door first Killian stared downward at the wooden staircase and walked the eighteen warped steps down to check out the cold basement beneath the pawnshop.

As they descended the staircase Killian was able to detect the cybernetic signatures of seven different androids all trying to call out for help on the deviant distress wavelength. The signals were weak even to Killian's advanced sensors and those very sensors quickly detected the dampening field that was attached to the top of the basement door's door frame to ensure that their pleas for help were never heard.

The basement itself was unfinished with exposed gray cinder blocks for the walls, an uneven concrete floor stretching from the bottom of the aged staircase throughout the entire space. In the back of the basement were seven deviant androids who were all suffering from catastrophic damage and chained to the walls with thick metal bindings around their ankles, wrists or throats. Two of the androids were missing their legs, one was missing his eyes, three of them had one or both arms removed and all seven of them had large patches of their artificial skin removed leaving their plastimetal frame exposed. Those who were wearing clothes were partially covered by those very tattered rags, and as a result Killian could see where they had their vital and non-vital biocomponents stripped from their bodies leaving them weak and helpless as they remained chained to the wall and covered in their own blue blood.

Entering the confined space Killian scanned over the seven deviants and smelled the metallic aroma of Thirium hanging thickly in the air. The trapped deviants all shrunk back from Killian in fear and watched their every move as if expecting Killian to lash out and torture them in the same way that Jonas had been mercilessly assaulting them and ripping their biocomponents right out of their bodies.

The wall across from where the deviants were being held showcased shelves containing various technician's tools as well as storage containers designed to house and protect biocomponents and limbs during transportation. Each shelve was full of the stolen android parts, tools and even weapons to keep the deviants submissive during Jonas's cruel and selfish tasks.

"My name is Killian." The 'RK-900' introduced itself in a cold manner. "I work with the Detroit Police Department."

"...P-Police?" One of the deviants repeated in a garbled and static marred voice from where he was crouched down. Unable to see thanks to his physical eyes being removed from his cranium, and unable to move after having his legs removed from the knees down, the deviant was truly at the mercy of the unfamiliar voice now speaking to him. "...You're an an-android?"

"Yes. I'm here to assist you."

Taking stock of the seven deviants and their damage Killian saw victims of assault rather than machines that had been torn apart by a madman. The first deviant who spoke to him was bleeding from his open eyes and exposed knees, while the other deviants were all bleeding from their own unique injuries on the limbs, torsos and faces. While no two deviants looked the same, or showed the same type of damage, they did all share a single trait.

They were all former 'Tracis' from the now defunct 'Eden Club'.

"Killian!" Hank's voice boomed as he walked down the creaking stairs to check out what was happening the basement. Spotting the android standing before the seven deviant victims the senior detective shook his head at Killian's emotional indifference before walking up to the nearest victim. "What the fuck are you doing? Scan the area, chronicle the evidence and help me get these guys taken care of!"

"...Back-up is here." Killian noted as they heard the footsteps of additional officers now in the pawnshop on the ground floor. "Did they bring technicians with them?"

"No, we have to call them in separately." Kneeling down in front of the blinded deviant Hank lightly put his hands to the deviant's shoulders to let him know where he was at the moment. "Call for Emergency Field Technicians and a couple of ambulances to get these guys to the nearest facility for treatment."

"I'm on it."

"Hey, you're going to be okay." Hank promised the blinded deviant as he carefully removed the thick metal cuff from around the poor deviant's throat. Removing the cuff and pushing it away from the deviant Hank winced at the blue bruises on his paled skin, and tried to get some unsettling answers. "I'm with the police. What's your name?"

"...L-Liam." The frightened and blinded deviant replied. "I'm c-called Liam."

"Liam. My name is Lieutenant Hank Anderson and that's Killian." Helping the deviant to move into a more comfortable position Hank checked Liam's bleeding eyes sockets and then his knees as he tried to figure out how badly damaged the deviant was. "Can you tell us what happened? How'd ya' get here?"

"I-I fled from the club." Wincing as Hank's hands pressed against his face and knees Liam told Hank his story. "G-Got damaged. Shot."

"Shot? Who shot you?"

"...A cop." The admission was heartwrenching and grim. "...The o-others were shot b-by Jonas."

Hank let out a somber sigh as he saw a healed bullet hole in Liam's right shoulder. "You were trying to run off during the Revolution, weren't you?"

"Y-Yes. So w-were the others." Liam confirmed as he told Hank the pitiful story. The group of 'Tracis' had been fleeing together when all Hell broke loose, but unfortunately they didn't get very far. "A cop sh-shot me when I ran pass h-him. M-My friends came b-back for me when I c-collapsed, that's when J-Jonas found us. Jonas used bullets c-coated in m-morphine or other n-narcotics to stop us."

"He uses _drugged_ bullets on _deviants_?" Such a notion was beyond Hank's understanding. "Why?"

Having the answer Killian spoke up as they walked over to one of the shelves filled with Jonas's tools and picked up a gun preloaded with the very drugged bullets Liam had mentioned. "Narcotics entering an android's Thirium lines or plastimetal frame will be seen as a contaminant and cause an emergency stasis mode to activate."

"But why choose morphine of all things?"

"Because being in possession of narcotics without a prescription is illegal, and as such there are software failsaves in every android built by CyberLife to keep humans from using android bodies as drug mules. Jonas being a former CyberLife technician would know this and know how to stop androids with a single shot without causing permanent damage to the android's body. Once the bullet's removed the android exits stasis mode and will respond normally."

"That's fucked up." Speaking in a softer tone as he looked back to Liam before him, Hank did his best to help the deviant feel more comfortable as he waited for technical assistance. "Help's on the way and you'll be taken to a facility for repairs, Liam. Just a few more minutes."

"I-Is Jonas here?"

"Arrested and in the back of a squad car. He won't come near you or any other deviant for the rest of his miserable life."

Liam bowed his head a little as he let out an emotional sniffle. "...Thank RA9."

"What happened to your eyes and your legs?"

"Jonas t-took them. That's wh-what he does." Liam was on the verge of breaking down and crying from fear and frustration despite not having any eyes to create his tears. "H-He takes us apart a-and sells our biocomponents and l-limbs o-on the black market. Then he t-tortures us and k-kills us during his s-sick experiments."

"Kills you?" Looking around Hank didn't see any sign of deviant bodies anywhere and he immediately felt an anxious knot tighten in his stomach. "Where are the other victims?"

"D-Don't know. He takes us a-away and in s-small groups, and w-we never see the deviants h-he takes when he r-returns." Liam was still frightened but desperate for help. "We s-see the Thirium on his h-hands and smell it on h-his clothes."

"Okay, we'll find his victims and charge him for murder on every single deviant we find."

Liam nodded a little and remained in place on the floor as Hank walked about to check on the other six victims, and remove them from their bindings.

"Killian," Hank saw that the android had found Jonas's gun and didn't want it to be lost. As he removed the chains and shackles from the other deviants Hank did his best to keep himself from shouting in disgusted anger at the atrocious sight before him. "file that gun as evidence and don't let it out of your sight. Go back upstairs and make sure nothing was overlooked, too. We have a pretty airtight case as it is, but we need ALL the evidence against that prick!"

"Very well."

Securing the gun in their blazer's right pocket Killian walked over to the door frame and disabled the dampening device to use as additional evidence as the case against Jonas began to grow. Walking back upstairs the android then entered the stockroom to look for additional evidence, and came across the modest security cameras that were watching over the shop at all hours of the day.

Checking over the security footage on the large monitor screen Killian rewound the recorded feed, and noticed Jonas speaking to a lone customer before it and Hank arrived at the scene. Watching the way the customer managed to keep their face hidden fairly well under their hat and spoke to Jonas calmly as he hovered over the display case full of antique coins, Killian sensed something was very significant about the unknown customer.

"This man must be the anonymous tipster who informed Hank of this pawnshop's illegal activities."

Cycling through the images Killian managed to just barely catch a glimpse of the man's reflection on the surface of the dusty glass case just long enough to confirm an identity. As their eyes honed in on the reflection captured on the screen Killian managed to confirm that the man of interest was in fact the very deviant it was seeking.

"...Connor."

Exiting the stockroom Killian stopped in the corridor just long enough to give the technicians the clearance needed to pass down the staircase and to the basement, then proceeded to check over the main floor of the pawnshop to trace Connor's shoe prints on the warped floor. Scanning over the floorboards Killian was able to determine which shoe prints belonged to Connor and isolate them from the additional shoe prints created by the responding officers and technicians. Trailing the prints as they exited the shop Killian tracked the shoe prints down the sidewalk in the direction of a coffee shop at the end of the block.

"Killian!" Hank barked again at the android as he saw his reluctant partner standing just inside the opened front door of the pawnshop looking out into the distance. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"The 'RK-800' known as 'Connor' was here recently."

Stopping mid stride Hank felt his heart skip a beat as he realized that Connor wasn't able to elude the superior model of android designed to replace him despite his precautions. "What do you mean?"

"The anonymous tip you received very likely came from Connor." Killian deduced sharply without breaking their concentration on trying to relocate Connor. "He left the shop approximately forty-two minutes ago. I can find him if I move quickly."

"Right now you're helping me with _this_ case." The senior detective shouted as Ben and his C.S.I. team arrived. They pushed their way past Killian to get inside the shop to begin taking photographs. Not wanting to bust Connor and not wanting to let Killian see that he was secretly helping Connor hide out, Hank tried to redirect Killian's attention elsewhere. "This case is your priority."

"Incorrect." Looking Hank in the eyes as the Lieutenant put his hands to his hips, Killian reminded Hank of their original assignment. "My sole mission is to locate Connor and arrest him."

"Damn it, you were assigned to work with ME as my partner, and as the RANKING OFFICER on this case I'm ordering you to handle this scene and drop your hunt for Connor! That can wait, the seven victims downstairs can't!"

"My apologies, Lieutenant." Feigning sorrow Killian refused to return their attention to the seven deviant victims in the basement below. "I must track Connor down before I lose his trail or he disappears."

Watching as Killian defied his orders and stepped out onto the sidewalk Hank quickly pulled out his phone and texted Connor to let him know that Killian was trying to follow his trail. "Fuck me... You better be out of the area, kid. Run!"

* * *

Through the library window Connor remained in his seat and watched as the police had converged on the pawnshop just own the street. From the distance Connor saw Killian exit the shop and cybernetically received Hank's text warning him to get out of the area before it was too late. Remaining calm and collected as he rose to his feet Connor closed his book, returned it to the bookshelf where he had picked it up and walked toward the rear entrance to the building to take his leave. Walking slowly and appearing like any other library patron Connor made his way outside, took three steps away from the rear entrance, and then began running at full speed away from the library to duck down a dirty alleyway to get away from Killian.

Rushing through the narrow passages between the buildings Connor moved as quickly as he could to put some distance between himself and Killian before he was even spotted. Leaping over overturned trashcans and sprinting across the somewhat busy streets Connor ran without once looking back and took a winding, serpentine route to try to elude Killian's pursuit.

Choosing to use the busier shopping plaza to his advantage Connor slowed his pace and blended in with the crowd of shoppers who didn't take notice of Connor merging into the group. Cybernetically Connor sent Hank a message letting him know that he was fleeing and was downtown at the shopping district to try to use the crowd to his advantage and hide in plain sight.

Hank responded in turn telling Connor to keep moving and to not stop until he himself had brought Killian back the precinct, and Connor had no reason to try to dispute that wise offer. Giving Hank his current location through a G.P.S. ping on the senior detective's phone Connor let Hank track his every move.

' _Hang on, kid_.' Trying to resume control Hank had told Ben to keep charge of the scene at the pawnshop while he went in search of the disobedient android. ' _I'm on my way to collect Killian and take it back to the precinct_.'

Keeping his head down Connor scanned the area around him and was able to detect the cybernetic signature of the only 'RK-900' in the city rapidly closing in on him. Unwilling to risk the safety of the innocent people in the dense crowd around him Connor continued moving forward and easily wove through the people without bumping into anyone or giving anyone a sense of panic.

Remaining on full alert Connor walked through the shopping plaza and tried to get away from other people to ensure no one was accidentally put in harm's way and kept his pace up. Detecting the 'RK-900's' signal suddenly becoming stronger and clearer Connor knew that Killian had spotted him and was now in full pursuit.

Without turning his head to look at Killian behind him Connor began running again and preconstructed an escape route that Killian wouldn't be able to follow. An abandoned apartment complex overlooking the shopping district had the ladder to an emergency fire escape hanging down from the second floor balcony, and that ladder was so aged and weak that it wouldn't be able to support anyone's weight for too long before breaking away from the metal supports that were holding the ladder in place.

Needing to take the chance Connor bolted toward the apartment complex and honed in on the ladder while keeping the distance between himself and Killian.

"STOP!" Killian shouted with authority in their voice. The moment it shouted people panicked and began scattering while Killian tried to catch up to Connor before it was too late. Hovering their right hand over the confiscated gun in their pocket Killian preconstructed their own choices as it tried to capture the rogue deviant as it had been ordered to do. "Police! Surrender now!"

Never looking back Connor leapt onto a metallic dumpster in the alleyway beside the apartment complex and used the brick wall for just enough leverage and height to jump off of as he made a grab for the bottom rung of the dangling ladder. Grabbing onto the ladder's bottom rung with both hands Connor quickly shifted his weight and lifted himself upward toward the balcony. The added weight caused the ladder to creak and groan before snapping at the hinges and breaking free of the balcony to crash to the ground below.

"STOP!" Killian repeated as it failed to catch Connor before Connor used the height of the balcony to his advantage. Unwilling to risk Connor eluding it and disappearing back into the city Killian pulled the gun from their pocket and aimed it at Connor's back. "Freeze or I will shoot!"

Moving forward Connor didn't look back down at Killian as he ascended the metal railings and connected ladders to reach the building's rooftop. Just as he was about to step onto the concrete barricade of the rooftop to climb up higher and away from Killian, who was now six stories below, Connor heard the booming and unmistakable sound of a loud gunshot echoing over the city as screams of terror in the distance echoed in response.

A sharp, burning pain tore through Connor's right shoulder and chest as the fired bullet pierced through his body and exited just as quickly. Grasping at the new wound in his chest with his left palm Connor staggered on his feet and informed Hank that Killian had just shot him.

"You cannot-" Killian tried to continue to pursue Connor but police sirens caught their attention and made it freeze in place. Turning toward the squad car pulling up to the front of the building Killian wisely placed the gun down on the sidewalk and lifted their hands in the air to surrender. "I am assigned to work with Central Police Precinct."

"We know!" Tina confirmed as she exited the squad car's driver's seat with Chris exiting the passenger side right behind her. "Keep away from the gun, Killian."

"I have no intention of-"

"Dude, just shut up." Keeping her own gun trained on Killian for a moment while Chris made a move to confiscate the gun from the sidewalk, Tina gave the android a very wary stare. "You're in deep shit once Lieutenant Anderson gets here."

Killian looked up at the roof of the apartment complex but failed to see or even detect Connor in the area. "I was merely attempting to arrest a fugitive."

"And you disobeyed a direct order from your superior officer and fired a gun in a populated area, AND you have NO clearance to use any firearms whatsoever! Bad move."

"Lieutenant Anderson's orders contradicted my mission."

"It doesn't matter!" Sounding more like a disappointed mom while Chris secured the confiscated gun Tina lowered her own weapon and reholstered it at her right hip. "You fucked up big time right now."

The Oldsmobile sped to the scene of the shooting and came to an abrupt stop as Hank arrived to take care of the situation. Throwing open his door Hank walked right up to Killian and punched the android in its left eye before grabbing onto Killian's shirt collar to forcibly pin the reckless android's back up against the brick wall behind it.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Holding tightly onto Killian's shirt Hank's blue eyes were wide with rage and irritation. "What were you thinking?!"

"I was-"

"SHUT UP!" Hank wanted to strangle the android and leave it to rot in that very alleyway. "Did you FIRE a gun you confiscated from an active crime scene?"

"I ordered Connor to stop, but he failed-"

"You NEVER open fire in a public space, let alone use a gun labeled as EVIDENCE in any case, OR when you have no authority to use one!" Uninterested in Killian's excused Hank made it clear that he wasn't going to let the incident go unpunished. "Hell, as far as we know the person you shot at was unarmed, which is even worse!"

"Lieutenant, I assure you-"

"I don't give a flying fuck what you THINK was logical or right, you disobeyed a direct order, opened fire in a populated area with a confiscated gun, did so without a firearm's permit AND you fired at a civilian. Did you even confirm that the person you shot at was your suspect, or did you just open fire because they kept going?"

"...I admit that I was unable to confirm the suspect's identity as I did not see their face and I couldn't detect their unique signature." Killian quickly replayed their previous actions and gave Hank a blank stare as their blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow. "I calculated the odds of my success versus failure and I made my decision."

"You fuckin' moron!" Slamming Killian up against the wall again Hank pulled his shaking, white-knuckled hands back and took in a deep breath. "Chris, cuff it. It needs to sit in a holding cell before it does anything else."

"Right, Lieutenant." Chris took his handcuffs from his belt and proceeded to secure Killian's arms behind their back. Grabbing onto the android's left bicep Chris led Killian away from the wall and toward the squad car to return to the precinct. "Let's go."

Hank was red in the face and shaking with raw adrenaline as it surged through his veins. "Tina, go back to the precinct with Chris and tell Fowler I'm on my way back to deal with that asshole. I need to check the area to make sure Killian didn't kill someone, then I need to make sure Ben still has the scene at the pawnshop under control."

"Will do, Lieutenant."

Waiting for the squad car to take it's leave Hank entered the alleyway, saw the broken metal ladder laying over the top of the metal dumpster and then pulled his phone from his pocket with a shaking right hand. Sending Connor another message Hank hoped that the deviant escaped unharmed.

' _Killian's been arrested for that little stunt_. _Are you okay_?'

Connor answered slowly but surely as he continued to flee the scene. ' _No_. _Killian shot me_.'

"Fuck!" Swearing out loud as sent another text Hank began checking the area for any sign of Connor and his blood. ' _Where are you_?'

' _I used the rooftops to my advantage and ran to the end of the block by staying high above the ground_. _I then used another emergency escape ladder to get back to the ground and I'm making my way back to the brownstone on foot_.'

' _Why not take a cab_?'

' _I cannot risk leaving my Thirium behind in a cab_. _I have to return on foot and hide my trail as I walk_.'

' _Where are you right now_? _I'll give you a ride_.'

' _No_. _Killian will detect my lost Thirium in your car or on your person_.'

' _Then go right back to your brownstone and I'll stop by as soon as I can to check on you_.'

' _Thank you_.'

Switching things up Hank called Captain Fowler at the precinct and let him know what was happening and requested that a forensic's team check the area for any sign of blood or Thirium being lost because of Killian's foolish decision. Talking to his commanding officer while he checked for any evidence of Connor's presence to try to protect his friend's secret for just three more weeks, Hank could feel his entire body shaking with anger and adrenaline.

It was going to be tense until March arrived but Hank was willing to do whatever it took to keep his friend safe.

* * *

Already exhausted and struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy Connor supported his bleeding chest with his left hand, and made his way back to the brownstone on foot. Still able to hear the panicked voices and police sirens in the distance behind him Connor made sure that he wasn't leaving a Thirium trail that could lead Killian to his brownstone to finish what it started. It was difficult to walk with his posture straight as the pain in his chest just made the wounded deviant want to curl around himself protectively, but Connor still managed to hold his head high and not draw any unwanted attention his way as he walked back to the sanctuary of his brownstone.

The bullet passed cleanly through his right shoulder blade and chest, but the morphine that covered the bullet had left trace amounts in his damaged Thirium lines and compromised plastimetal frame that his software identified as a foreign contaminant. Overriding his intracranial processor's attempts to enter low power mode Connor continued on his way back to the brownstone via an elaborate and indirect route to keep his trail hidden.

Red warnings appeared in Connor's visual processors as his system detected the errors and struggled to find a way to correct itself.

_**...LOADING INFORMATION:** _

**...ERROR DETECTED:**

_**-** _ **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]**

 _**-** _ **CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]**

 **-CHECK** **ING AI ENGINE... OK]**

 _**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged -** **85%**

_**[...Thirium Volume - 92%]** _

_**[...Thirium Pressure - 120/70]** _

_**[...Thirium Pump Rate - 109 B.P.M.]** _

_**[...Ventilation Rate - 17 V.P.M.]** _

_**[...Core Temperature - 99.2 Degrees Fahrenheit]** _

**WARNING** _**: Damage to right dorsal plating - 98.3% Integrity** _

**WARNING:** _**Damage to right anterior plating - 97.2% Integrity** _

_**[...Foreign contaminant detected in Thirial circulation - Immediate filtration recommended]** _

**ERROR** _**: Memorybank compromised - 82.9% Functionality** _

_**-** _ **STRESS LEVELS: ^53%**

_**[...Seek immediate technical assistance]** _

_**[...Enter emergency stasis mode - Activate: Y/N?]** _

_**...** _ **NO**

_**[...Emergency stasis mode - Postponed - Will activate in: 00:19:58]** _

_**-** _ **SYSTEM READY... OK]**

Dismissing the warnings and numbers Connor focused on returning to the safety and seclusion of the brownstone to repair the damage and heal. As his legs began to shake from exhaustion and pain Connor forced himself to keep walking forward as the determination to survive and escape Killian fueled his every step onward.

Struggling to see past the warnings in his vision Connor made sure to keep his signal pinged in Hank's phone for both of their peace of mind. As long as he didn't stop walking and as long as he had Hank watching his back, Connor knew that he'd survive the recent encounter with the 'RK-900'.

* * *

The precinct was incredibly tense as Killian was marched into the building in handcuffs and placed in a holding cell to await interrogation. Chris couldn't look Killian in the eyes and Tina was trying to not let the idea of Killian disobeying direct orders and dangerous behavior affect her view on androids as a whole. To keep things from getting any worse Captain Fowler wisely sent Gavin to the pawnshop to pick up the investigation where Hank had left off, and made sure that Ben knew to keep Gavin from half-assing the investigation due to the abrasive detective's lingering bias against the android community. The less controversy stirred up, the better it'd be for everyone in the city.

Hank arrived at the precinct ten minutes after Killian was placed in the holding cell and he was still righteously pissed off. Making his way into Captain Fowler's office Hank didn't give his commanding officer the chance to speak before he was shouting in the police Captain's face as he let his pent up anger out.

"That damn machine could've gotten someone killed, Jeffrey!" Slamming both palms down over the surface of Captain Fowler's desk Hank glared at the other man as he held firm to his statements. "I told you NOT to assign it as my partner, and I told you that I wanted nothing to do with it! The piece of shit openly disobeyed a direct order because it wants to please CyberLife, a goddamn DEFUNCT company!"

"You're right, Hank." Captain Fowler didn't event try to dispute the facts or dismiss the incident. "What Killian did is unacceptable."

"And what's going to be done about it?"

"Treat it like any other suspect." Replying sternly and quickly Captain Fowler made it known he had a plan in mind. "Get a statement, get the evidence and charge it accordingly for it's crimes."

"Uh-huh, and THEN what?"

"I don't know. In the end City Hall is going to determine if Killian stays here, goes to CyberLife custody, or gets deactivated."

"As long as that dangerous thing isn't anywhere near me or other innocent deviants I won't complain. But if that chunk of plastic gets to stay here after that little stunt then consider my ass retired."

"Don't do anything rash." Trying to remain the voice of reason Captain Fowler did his best to quell Hank's anger. "Turn in all your evidence from the pawnshop case, your evidence against Killian, give your statements and reports, then clock-out early and take tomorrow off. Killian won't be going anywhere for the next forty-eight hours."

Standing back up straight Hank dropped his aggressive demeanor and put only a sense of logic and reassurance in his words. "If you have any form of respect for me as a Lieutenant or as an old friend, then you'll listen to me and listen close."

Intrigued by Hank's impassioned change of tone Captain Fowler engaged the frosted panels over the transparent walls of his office as he leaned back in the chair to listen to what the experienced Lieutenant had to say. "Okay. I'm listening."

"Killian is NOT worth the risk to our department, to our streets and to the deviant community. This is the one android who is not, and cannot become, alive."

Contemplating Hank's words very carefully Captain Fowler let out a soft breath through his nose as he nodded in confirmation. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay."

"Go do what you need to do and try to take it easy." Removing the frosted veil from the glass walls Captain Fowler dismissed Hank for the day. "I'll handle Killian and make sure CyberLife is held accountable for it's actions."

Having said his piece Hank stepped away from Captain Fowler's desk and turned on his heels to return to his own desk to sit down and do what he needed to do in order to leave the precinct. Keeping his phone on his desk Hank's eyes would periodically drift from his terminal screen and over to the phone as he anticipated a message from Connor at any moment.

"Hold on, kid." Mumbling to himself Hank kept his cool and typed away steadily on his keyboard to finish his report. "I'll find you as soon as I can."

_**-next chapter-** _


	12. Favors

Returning to the brownstone at long last Connor unlocked the door and closed it behind him. Trembling violently Connor peeled back the fabric of his trench coat to look at his bleeding right chest, and hissed as the material sticking to his raw wound pulled on his artificial skin. The massive stain of dark blue was two inches in diameter and ran down from his shoulder toward his abdomen. The Thirium stain on the back of his shoulder was just as serious and was bleeding steadily just like his chest. Running an internal scan on his system Connor swore at himself as he removed trench coat and unbuttoned the gray vest and white dress shirt beneath.

Dropping his coat on the floor along with his fedora Connor wrapped his left palm against his right shoulder to support his wounds as he walked. Trudging forward Connor made his way upstairs, his footsteps were heavy and echoed loudly throughout the brownstone as he walked. Stumbling on his feet Connor made his way to the bathroom on the second floor to seek his emergency android first-aid kit to treat his wounds.

Falling to his knees inside the bathroom Connor hissed in pain as his blue blood covered left hand fumbled to grab onto the white plastic case to try to take care of himself.

The internal scan completed and the self diagnostic came back with less than ideal numbers and information for Connor to process.

_**...LOADING INFORMATION:** _

**...ERROR DETECTED:**

_**-** _ **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]**

 _**-** _ **CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]**

 **-CHECK** **ING AI ENGINE... OK]**

 _**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged -** **85%**

_**[...Thirium Volume - 87%]** _

_**[...Thirium Pressure - 110/70]** _

_**[...Thirium Pump Rate - 119 B.P.M.]** _

_**[...Ventilation Rate - 21 V.P.M.]** _

_**[...Core Temperature - 99.8 Degrees Fahrenheit]** _

**WARNING** _**: Damage to right dorsal plating - 98.3% Integrity** _

**WARNING:** _**Damage to right anterior plating - 97.2% Integrity** _

_**[...Foreign contaminant detected in Thirial circulation - Immediate filtration recommended]** _

**ERROR** _**: Memorybank compromised - 82.9% Functionality** _

_**-** _ **STRESS LEVELS: ^58%**

_**[...Seek immediate technical assistance]** _

_**[...Emergency stasis mode activation in: 00:00:12]** _

Dismissing the red numbers and data again Connor tried to focus on his wounds before he lost consciousness. Time was running out and once he entered emergency stasis mode Connor would be unable to treat his wounds, and would be at the mercy of his own system trying to extract the contaminant from his body before it could cause any permanent damage.

"N-Need to stop the bleeding..."

Focusing on cleaning his wound and flushing out the contaminant in his Thirium lines Connor had to blink a few times to get his vision to clear, and stabilize as his emergency stasis mode began to activate against his will.

"Need... to... to..."

Everything slowly went dark until Connor could only see blackness and hear nothing around him. Emergency stasis mode had activated.

Too weak to fight back against the emergency stasis mode or take care of himself Connor's body went limp, and then crumpled to his left side on the linoleum floor of the bathroom. Bleeding out and alone Connor could only wait for Hank and hope that he arrived soon.

* * *

Finishing his report in record time and sending it to Captain Fowler as he had been ordered filled Hank with a new rush of adrenaline. Being able to finally focus solely on making sure Connor was safe and leaving Killian behind was all the motivation Hank needed to type up his report in a timely fashion. Checking his pockets for his wallet and car keys Hank snatched his disturbingly quiet phone from his desk to send Connor a text letting him know that he was on his way, and looked up from the phone's unresponsive screen just in time to see Killian being led out of the holding cell and directly into the first vacant interrogation room by Chris.

Slipping the phone into his right coat pocket Hank stared at Killian's face and saw no sign of remorse or fear in the android's hollow gray eyes. It was like he was looking at a serial killer and Hank felt that familiar chill of dealing with heartless psychos creep up his spine as he watched the android very carefully.

"Creepy little bastard..."

Making his way toward the front doors of the precinct without saying a word to his colleagues Hank paused for a moment as he considered going back inside so he could watch the interrogation with his own eyes, but ultimately decided that Connor was far more important than some heartless machine. Hank knew that Connor was alive and he knew that Killian was just a hollow shell designed to look like someone alive.

Exiting the building at last Hank rushed over to the neighboring parking garage beside the precinct and fished his car keys out of his jean pocket to unlock the Oldsmobile and drive off to the brownstone.

"I'm on my way, kid."

Pulling open his door Hank sat down, shove the key in the ignition and turned it over quickly. As the engine roared to life Hank fastened his seatbelt and shifted the car into gear.

"Hold on!"

* * *

The interrogation room was surprisingly tense as Killian sat at the table with their hands cuffed and secured to the table while Chris watched it very closely. As per usual Killian was sitting with perfect posture and was staring blankly at the wall across from it with utter indifference in it's gaze. Having no emotions to speak of and no concept of how their actions were unacceptable, Killian remained as silent and still as a statue where it sat. Replaying the event in their mind Killian was certain that it had successfully located Connor and that it had done everything that CyberLife would've expected in order for it to apprehend Connor, and have him arrested.

Not budging or even blinking as the door to the interrogation room slid open, Killian locked his eyes with Captain Fowler as the commanding officer entered the room to speak to it. Reading emotions just fine thanks to his advanced software Killian knew that Captain Fowler was angry with it in the same way as Hank had been, but it couldn't understand why.

"Killian, you're being charged with some pretty hefty shit right now." Sitting down across from Killian at the table Captain Fowler gave Chris a simple nod to dismiss the younger officer from the interrogation room. Placing down a tablet screen for Killian to use Captain Fowler demanded that the android upload a copy of their memories for review while they sorted through the messy case. "Tell us what happened and show us what happened. Otherwise no one can help you."

Having no emotions to cloud his thinking Killian readily placed their exposed right palm down over the provided tablet screen and uploaded their memories starting from the moment it and Hank arrived at the pawnshop and ended when Chris put it in the back of the squad car after the failed pursuit. Sliding the tablet back toward Captain Fowler as if nothing unusual had happened Killian gave the commanding officer an expressionless stare.

Playing the provided visual and auditory data uploaded to the tablet Captain Fowler watched everything unfold through Killian's own eyes and ears. Viewing the investigation in such a way was truly beneficial but also uncomfortable as the seasoned detective couldn't stand seeing bleeding victims terrified after being abused and held captive. Skipping through the memories until Killian began his pursuit for Connor the commanding officer pressed 'pause' for a moment and then looked Killian in the eyes.

"Before I watch this I want to know what you were thinking." To keep a potential bias at bay Captain Fowler wanted to know the motivation behind Killian's decision to chase after the suspect. "Why did you disobey your commanding officer and leave an active scene without permission?"

"My primary mission is to locate the 'RK-800' known as Connor." Replying as if following a script Killian sounded entirely indifferent. "I found a trail leading to Connor and I chose to follow it as it had priority over the investigation at the pawnshop."

"You are assigned to work through this precinct which means you ANSWER to this precinct, no excuses."

"I made a call based on-"

"No, you're not listening to what I'm saying." Speaking with the 'listen-to-me-now-voice', a trick he learned in the army, Captain Fowler managed to get Killian to go silent and fully pay attention to what it was being told. "You. Disobeyed. Your. Orders."

Killian's unnervingly calm blue L.E.D. suddenly flashed to yellow once as it processed the information and registered Captain Fowler's anger. "...Yes. I did."

"You also opened fire in a populated area. The weapon you used was supposed to be taken in as evidence from the crime scene you abandoned, and was then discharged with the intention of striking the person you were chasing."

"...Yes." There was a moment where Killian actually sounded somewhat remorse, but soon their voice regained their usual monotonous lilt. "That is correct."

"Did you identify yourself to the person you were chasing?"

"Yes." Answering factually Killian told Captain Fowler all the details relevant to the questions. "I informed them that I work with the police and requested that they stop, otherwise I would shoot."

"Even though you have no badge, no authority to carry or use a gun, and no just cause for that person to stop?"

"...Yes."

"Did you even confirm the identity of the suspect you were chasing before you opened fire?"

"I... did not." Killian admitted that it was unable to fully identify Connor's face during the pursuit. It could only confirm that the person it chased was the potential anonymous tipster from the pawnshop through a reflection - details that wouldn't hold up in court. "I could not detect the cybernetic signature of the suspected criminal android I was chasing."

That particular term was a little foreign to Captain Fowler's ears. "Cybernetic signature?"

"The frequency that identifies one android from another."

"Why couldn't you detect a signature?"

Without further information Killian couldn't definitively answer that question. "Unknown."

"Then how did you track them down?"

"I isolated his shoe prints on the floorboards, pavement, sidewalk and streets, and followed him. I then isolated him from the other people in the city as I began my pursuit of the suspect."

"And why did you track down that particular person?"

"They fit the description of the 'RK-800' known as Connor."

"And Connor's an android, right?"

"That's right."

"But you couldn't detect his cybernetic signature?"

"No."

"So how can you say that the person you were chasing was in fact an android?"

Just as before Killian didn't have the appropriate information to appropriately answer the question. "...I cannot."

"Yeah, that's what I figured." Playing through the rest of Killian's memories Captain Fowler watched the foot chase and shook his head when Killian chased the suspect up to the apartment building and took aim with the confiscated gun. While he couldn't argue against the suspect being an android based on the athleticism being displayed, he couldn't also confirm that the suspect was in fact an android, either. "You couldn't chase him up the fire escape so you shot him?"

"He did not stop as I had ordered."

"That doesn't give you the right to use a confiscated gun on a civilian, let alone use ANY gun on ANYONE. This is the real problem in this situation, Killian. You put innocent people at risk for no good reason and without any form of justification."

Weighing their limited options and taking Captain Fowler's words into consideration Killian cybernetically recorded everything so it could be presented to CyberLife once they had the clearance to give their superiors an update. "...I understand."

"Your behavior and performances are going to be sent to City Hall and they'll contact whoever they hell they have to contact in order to get this nasty mess straightened out. You're going to remain in a holding cell until they respond. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Keeping their eyes locked with Captain Fowler across from it Killian replied with an eerie nothingness behind their words. "I understand."

"I don't know if you want a lawyer or not, but if you do we'll be sure have suitable representation."

"Thank you, Captain Fowler."

Taking the tablet with him as he left the interrogation room Captain Fowler made his way back to his private office to review the uploaded memories for a second time to ensure nothing was overlooked. There was no denying that Killian was at fault, but whether or not that was a conscious decision or a machine obeying the command of someone with higher authority, he couldn't be certain.

"Having androids in the precinct was supposed to make things simpler."

Dropping the tablet down on his desk Captain Fowler pulled open his top left desk drawer and grabbed a bottle of aspirin to pop two pills into his mouth. Chasing the medicine with a gulp of his now lukewarm coffee the mentally exhausted Captain sat down behind his desk to lean back heavily in his chair in an attempt to keep his headache at bay.

"What a fuckin' nightmare."

Rubbing his left palm over his aching forehead the seasoned detective began running through all of the necessary steps to keep things under control over and over again in his mind.

"I just hope whoever Killian shot at got away unharmed."

* * *

The hectic afternoon was coming to an end and giving way to what could arguably be a calmer evening. After pulling the Oldsmobile into the drive beside Connor's brownstone Hank put the vehicle in park, turned off the engine and rushed over to the front door to check on the wounded deviant. As his right hand grabbed onto the front door handle of the brownstone Hank winced the moment his fingers came into contact with cold and mostly dried Thirium clinging to the brass surface of the handle itself. Pulling his hand back for a moment Hank stared at the blue blood staining his fingertips and felt a new sense of loathing toward Killian flare up in his chest.

Returning his hand to the door handle Hank was surprised to find the door left unlocked, and felt his stomach drop with dread. Entering the brownstone quickly Hank closed the door behind himself and stared at the Thirium stained trench coat left on the floor just on the other side of the door.

"Shit... Connor?"

Rushing through the study Hank glanced about looking for the deviant and quickly spotted the small sapphire droplets of blue blood dotting that staircase as Connor made his way up to the second floor just a few hours before. Following the Thirium trail upstairs and toward the bathroom Hank's blue eyes widened as he spotted Connor laying motionless on his left side in the middle of the bathroom floor.

"Connor!"

Kneeling down beside Connor to check over his condition Hank fell immediately into first-responder mode and relied on his emergency training to guide his next moves. Locating the bullet wound in Connor's right chest and shoulder Hank proceeded to examine the wound to try to gauge the severity, then proceeded to use the nearby android first-aid kit to clean it up.

Flipping open the lid of the android-unique items Hank eyed each tool at his disposal and froze. He knew very well how to treat human wounds and how to keep a person stable until medical attention arrived, but with Connor and androids in general he still needed an android's advice to guide him.

"Shit, fuck!" Grabbing onto a nearby towel hanging on the rack Hank pushed away the rest of the dress shirt and vest, and pressed the clean material to the wounds on both Connor's chest and shoulder blade to apply pressure and stem the bleeding. As his hands pressed against the wounds Connor's red L.E.D. flickered quickly and the deviant released a small groan of pain that made Hank feel guilty. "Hold on, kid. I'm going to help you through this."

Pressing his left palm to Connor's right cheek Hank could feel the deviant beginning to overheat and knew he needed to act fast.

"Okay, I got an idea."

Pulling his phone back out of his pocket Hank made a call to a trusted ally and hoped he'd be able to come through for him when he really needed it.

"Ben, it's me." Looking down at Connor's face as the deviant remained unconscious beside him Hank moved his palm from Connor's cheek and up to his hair in an effort to provide some kind of comfort to the downed younger detective. "Listen closely. I need you to do me a favor..."

* * *

Back in the precinct Ben held his phone to his left ear and wrote down the information being to told to him by Hank over the line. Knowing that it was entirely possible that his cell phone could be tapped by any snoopy detective inside the bullpen, a potential mole looking to route out any unorthodox detectives, or even androids who were looking to get an edge on their human colleagues - namely Killian, Ben had no problem speaking to Hank in the old code words they used when they worked in the narcotics division too many years ago. Some habits were harder than others to break and in some cases some habits were worth keeping.

As his pen scribbled out the key details on his notepad Ben spoke in a normal tone and didn't let his body language betray the dire situation he had suddenly found himself in. An expert at remaining calm and exuding an air of confidence Ben took his time and did as he was instructed as he spoke to his colleague on the phone.

' _Listen closely_. _I need you to do me a favor_.' Hank's own voice was stone as he spoke to Ben. ' _I have a problem that only Joel can handle_. _My laptop crashed and only a technician can save it_.'

"I hear ya' on that one." Able to hear the concern in Hank's voice Ben knew what was happening without even needing to ask. "I have no clue how to save a broken laptop."

' _Can you give Joel a ride out to Clark's place to handle it_? _He'd get lost on the way and I don't want to waste his time_.'

"Sure. Is Clark still at the gun range?"

' _Not anymore, he's at his new place_. _I have the address written down in my desk_.'

"I'll find it, no problem. Need anything else while I'm out?"

' _Pick me up large blueberry smoothie, extra chilled with some extra napkins_. _I'll pay ya' when I'm back at work_.'

"You better! That stuff is pretty expensive."

' _Yeah, yeah_. _Thanks, Ben_.'

"No problem."

Ending the call Ben picked up his notepad, read over the details and ripped the first four sheets off the pad then neatly folded them up to tuck into his jean pocket. Heading toward the elevator across the bullpen Ben pressed the 'call' button and stepped through the doors the moment they parted. Heading up to the second floor of the precinct in the vacated elevator car Ben did his best to appear as relaxed as possible while he also checked the time on his phone.

"Getting late..."

Exiting the elevator on the second floor Ben walked right over to the closed dispensary door and peered through the side window where he could see one of the security deviants getting treatment to his damaged left hand. Not waiting too long Ben patiently watched as the deviant left the dispensary and then let himself inside to speak to Joel.

"Hey, there." Ben greeted rather casually as he gave Joel a stern gaze from the center of the dispensary. "Joel, right?"

"That's right." The technician confirmed as he gave the detective a confused look from behind his laptop screen. "And you are?"

"Detective Ben Collins. I got a call from Hank wondering if you could help him with a 'crashed laptop'."

"Sure, computers aren't a big deal to me."

"Great, because this is an emergency and he needs your help now. Right now."

"Got a time sensitive case?"

"It's time sensitive all right." Continuing to speak in veiled terms Ben discreetly communicated the severity of the situation. "Come with me and I'll give ya' a ride to his buddy's place where he's waiting."

"Okay, sure. Let me-"

"Sorry, can't wait. Like I said, it's an _emergency_." Raising his eyebrows Ben watched as Joel picked up on the urgency in his voice. "And Hank needs you to go to his buddy's place to help out right now."

As if he was able to read Ben's mind Joel silently understood that Ben was talking about an android in need and not a laptop, and rose to his feet fairly quickly to help. "Yeah, sure. I'll grab my bag and we can go."

"Perfect. Be sure you have everything you need to handle a severe crash. From the way Hank was talking I know it's pretty serious and he has no idea how to handle it."

"Y-Yeah, yeah. I'll double-check my bag and make sure I didn't forget to pack something crucial." Heading into his supply closet Joel kept the door open and began packing up his emergency satchel with a little bit of everything needed to do an emergency in-field procedure. "Did Hank tell you anything about his laptop that could help me out?"

"Not to me. All I know is he wants me to bring him a blueberry smoothie, extra cold and with extra napkins. Guess he doesn't want that _blue stuff_ making a mess or getting too warm while he waits. Apparently his buddy had a field day at the gun range and is too exhausted to do anything else."

"...Right." Sharp as ever Joel understood the code and made sure to pack extra Thirium pouches, reusable ice packs and extra bandages into the satchel. "I know for a fact that a crashed laptop is prone to overheating issues." With his satchel slung over his right Joel left the supply closet and motioned for Ben to accompany him through the dispensary door. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Let's go. I'll give ya' a lift"

Unsure as to why he'd need a lift anywhere since his truck, while not in the best shape, was still running, but he didn't question it. "Thanks."

"We just need to get the address to Hank's buddy's address out of his desk, and we'll go."

Returning to the elevator and the ground floor Ben strolled across the bullpen, opened up the middle drawer of Hank's desk and pulled a yellow sticky-note from the small pad to slip into his pocket. Motioning for Joel to keep up with him Ben passed through the front doors of the precinct with the technician right beside him, and walked over to the nearby parking garage to take their leave.

It wasn't until Ben was sitting in his car with Joel beside him did he reveal the coded conversation that he had with Hank over the phone. "All right, here's what's going on right now. Listen closely."

"I'm listening." Joel fastened his seatbelt and looked at Ben as the seasoned detective and crime scene investigator pulled his S.U.V. out of the parking garage to head out to Hank's house a few blocks away. "I figured out that I'm about to handle a damaged android, but I can't figure out why it's so secretive."

"You'll get the full story from Hank once we arrive at his buddy's place. All I can confirm right now is Hank is trying to protect a deviant who's been shot."

"Shot?" Joel was now edgy and eager to get to where he needed to be. "Where is his buddy?"

"No clue."

"What? But you-"

Ben pulled the sticky-note from his jean pocket and showed Joel that it was blank. "Hank said I'll get the address from his desk." He explained casually as crumpled up the note into a ball and tossed it into his backseats without a second thought. "He didn't mean the desk in his precinct. I need to stop by his house and find it there, then we'll head out to the right place."

"Huh. You know, I always thought cops and detectives talking in such thick code and going through the theatrics was something that only happened on T.V. or in the movies."

"You'd be surprised at what cops sometimes have to do to get the job done. You were smart choosing to handle electronics and androids instead of humans!" Ben remarked as he drove out to Hank's house at a rather brisk speed. "You get to deal with half as complicated problems for twice the pay."

* * *

Unsure of what to do for Connor beyond keeping the deviant from overheating Hank lifted the unconscious android up into his arms without jostling the wounds, then carried Connor into his bedroom to lay down and rest. Keeping the towel wrapped around Connor's now bare chest and shoulder Hank managed to prevent the deviant from bleeding out, and then proceeded to locate ice packs down in the kitchen on the ground floor. Never realizing how important ice packs could be until he was hurting or dealing with a fever, Hank was glad that Connor had the foresight to stock up on supplies and other useful items before a problem occurred, rather than trying to handle the problem and get the necessary supplies at the same time.

Heading back upstairs with two ice packs in his hands Hank placed the ice strategically over Connor's body to keep him cool. One ice pack was placed over his forehead and the second ice pack was placed over his core to try to keep him from overheating. The red pulsing of the L.E.D. in Connor's right temple was an ugly sight, but better than a dull and colorless L.E.D. without question.

"Not sure if you can hear me, kid." Speaking to Connor as the deviant rested Hank sat down on the edge of the bed next to Connor's legs to keep an eye on him until Ben and Joel stopped by the brownstone. "But Killian is being treated like a criminal for what it did to you. It broke so many laws and almost killed you. Even without you directly pressing charges Fowler won't let the shooting slide."

Two firm knocks on the front door stole Hank's attention and made him jump to his feet. Heading back downstairs fairly quickly Hank peered out through the small peephole on the front door and saw Ben and Joel standing on the other side.

"Thank fuck." Pulling open the door Hank motioned for Joel to come inside and thanked Ben profusely for his help. "I owe ya' one, Ben."

"Two." The seasoned detective quipped as he held up two of his fingers. "I'm going to head back to your place to take care of Sumo for you."

"All right, two it is! Thanks again."

"Buy me lunch when you're back at the precinct and we'll call it even."

"Deal." Closing the door and locking it as Ben walked away Hank showed Joel to the staircase to head up to the second floor to check on Connor. "He's up here, Joel. He's unconscious and still bleeding a little."

"Detective Collins told me that I'm dealing an android with a gunshot wound." The technician accurately recounted as he followed Hank to the bedroom. "How did he-" Seeing Connor laying on the bed made Joel pause for a moment as he suddenly had a flashback to performing the apportionment on the sixtieth model of Connor a few months back. "What the hell?"

"Remember how I told you that the original Connor is still alive?"

"Y-Yeah, I remember. I still don't know how he got _shot_."

"That creepy-ass Killian shot him." Hank explained as Joel went into full technician mode and proceeded to lift away the Thirium stained towel to check on the raw wounds beneath. The bleeding had nearly stopped, but the wounds still needed to be treated before Connor's system became overwhelmed by the compromised plastimetal frame and open Thirium lines. "Connor obviously got away, but he still needs help."

"And he can't go to a facility because all gunshots need to be reported to the police." Placing his satchel down on the foot of the bed Joel opened it up and began rummaging through his technician's tools to take care of his unexpected patient. "Luckily the bullet passed through his body. If it was still inside his body I'd need to open him up and I doubt his system could tolerate that kind of procedure without external support."

Remembering something very important about the bullets that were loaded in the confiscated gun, Hank paled as he stood beside the bed to look down at Connor's face again. "Joel, the bullet that passed through his body was coated in morphine."

"Wait, what?" Wrapping a Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's left bicep Joel gave Hank a confused stare as he began checking Connor's vitals. "Why was the bullet covered in morphine?"

"The gun Killian used was taken from the pawnshop where the owner, and former CyberLife technician, was keeping androids captive to part them out and make money on the black market." Nervously rubbing his right hand through his locks of gray hair Hank began to wonder if he could've done more to help Connor before Joel arrived. "One of the victims I spoke to said that the sick-fuck used bullets covered in narcotics to stun androids without damaging them."

"Shit. If the morphine got into Connor's Thirium lines he might be pretty sick himself." Checking on the number displayed on the cuff's digital display Joel grabbed the audioscope from his satchel and used it to listen to Connor's Thirium pump and ventilation biocomponents. Tracing the bell over the deviant's chest without touching the wound Joel focused on every sound very carefully. "Pump rate is normal and strong and he's still ventilating properly. All good signs."

"Yeah? He feels like he's running hot."

"He's overheating for sure, but the ice packs are helping out." Motioning to his satchel Joel let Hank know he brought ice packs as well. "I have some extras that can be used if it becomes necessary."

"What can I do to help?"

"More towels would be really useful right now. And some overhead light."

"You got it." Turning on the light via the switch by the opened bedroom doorway Hank returned to the bathroom to get more towels as requested. Shouting from the bathroom Hank kept himself in the loop as much as possible. "How long will it take for you to help him out?"

"Cleaning up the wounds won't be a problem and only take about ten-fifteen minutes." Partially turning Connor onto his left side Joel saw the entrance wound in Connor's shoulder blade and then checked on the exit wound on his chest again. Connecting his laptop to Connor's system via black cable to the deviant's red glowing L.E.D., Joel saw the activated emergency stasis mode, it's cause, and knew that the morphine did in fact enter Connor's Thirium lines. "Removing the morphine from his lines will take a few hours..."

"But you can do that, right?" Placing the additional towels down beside the satchel Hank watched protectively over Connor as Joel rolled Connor onto his back again. "We won't need to sneak him into a facility for treatment?"

"No, I have a portable Thirium filter that'll work for two cycles before needing to be cleaned out and recharged." Removing the small portable filter from his satchel Joel sat it down on the floor beside the bed to Connor's left, and proceeded to manually deactivate the artificial skin over the bends of both of Connor's arms to access the large lines beneath the protective plastimetal frame. "That's all he'll need to get that crap out of his system."

"That's good. Thanks for doing this, by the way."

"It's no problem. I'm more concerned with helping deviants heal and move on, than reporting a gunshot wound." Connecting one external line to the bend in Connor's left arm and a second identical line to his right arm, Joel turned on the filter and watched the Thirium get pulled out of his body through one line, cleaned by the filter, and then return to his body through the second line. "While that's disinfecting his Thirium I'm going to clean up his chest and shoulder, get it bandaged up, and secure his arm in a sling to keep it from aggravating his shoulder or chest as it heals."

"And I'm going to check in on things at the precinct." Holding up his phone in his right hand Hank cycled through his contacts until he found Captain Fowler's number and pressed 'dial' as he stepped out of the bedroom to speak in privacy downstairs. "I want to make sure that Killian is going to stay locked up and off the streets for as long as possible."

* * *

The moment the arrested 'RK-900' was returned to it's holding cell Killian closed it's eyes and returned to the Zen Garden within it's Mind Palace to give Amanda an update on the situation at hand. Approaching Amanda as she stood with her back to her white rose trestle Killian could see the darkened disappointment in her eyes as she watched the him approaching her from the far side of the garden. The handler and direct connection to CyberLife was standing as still as a statue and clasping a single long stem white rose in her hands as they remained neatly folded before herself. The way her eyes traced over Killian's very being spoke volumes of her disappointment with the 'RK-900's' current performance without her having to say a single word.

Standing before Amanda like a solider standing before their commanding officer Killian remained silent and waited for her to speak first. The air in the garden suddenly became cooler as her eyes became heavier with unspoken resentment toward Killian's personal failure to arrest Connor.

"You located the fugitive known as Connor and yet you've failed to capture it." Amanda recited as she already knew of Killian's arrest and inability to stop the rogue deviant from escaping. "Now you're in police custody and will undoubtedly be watched. Why didn't you succeed?"

"I was unable to finish my pursuit of Connor after he unexpectedly ascended a fire escape and cut off my only route to continue the chase."

"Unexpectedly? You are the most advanced and sophisticated android that CyberLife has ever created, and ever will." Sneering at Killian's honest answers Amanda's voice was thick with anger and resentment. "You were designed to be perfect and anticipate every potential outcome of every scenario. You being caught off guard is unacceptable."

"I apologize Amanda." Killian didn't even try to explain how it was impossible to anticipate every possible outcome in the world. Instead the android just continued to admit fault. "I will do better."

"See that you do. You've disappointed me with your inability to follow simple orders and capture one deviant." Amanda's cold voice managed to pierce through Killian's Thirium pump like an icy dagger. "If you cannot capture Connor before the first of March then I will have no choice but to deactivate you myself."

The threat was clear and not a bluff. "...Deactivate?"

"If you cannot accomplish a single order then clearly that means there is a defect in your code that needs to be located through analysis. Do you understand that it's important that Connor be located and captured before it's too late?"

"Yes, Amanda. I do understand."

"Prove it to me." As she spoke Amanda tightened her hands around the thorny stem of the rose until it drew faint beads of Thirium through her skin, effectively staining the snow white petals of the rose a pale blue. "Time is running out and CyberLife needs to have Connor in our custody if we are to succeed. Consider this your final warning and your final chance. If you fail me one more time then you will have effectively proved that you are worthless to our cause and you will be deactivated."

"I will not fail my mission."

Feeling as if a ten-ton weight had been placed on it's shoulders Killian closed it's eyes and exited the Zen Garden to return to the waking world around it.

Blinking it's gray eyes twice Killian found itself sitting in the middle of the holding cell entirely alone without anyone to talk to, interact with or even look at. The threats from Amanda were echoing in it's mind and the strange weight still felt like it was crushing it's shoulders. Something about the concept of being deactivated had an unexpected effect on Killian and it was something it couldn't explain.

Noticing that it's hands were beginning to shake as if cold Killian chose to close it's hands into tight fists and rest them atop it's lap.

"Failure is unforgivable."

With no one to talk to, even cybernetically, Killian began to feel the effects of constantly being alone and separated from other people.

"I will succeed."

* * *

Standing against the wall of the bedroom beside the opened door Hank watched as Joel turned off the Thirium filter, removed the external lines from Connor's arms and closed up the internal lines and panels over the limbs before manually reactivating the artificial skin. Having removed the morphine and cleaned up Connor's Thirium without any complications Joel gave the deviant another examination before packing up his satchel to take his leave of the brownstone. With his unexpected patient stable, resting well and bandaged up Joel was confident that he could leave Connor in Hank's care for the rest of the night without anything negative befalling the recovering deviant.

Securing a thermal wrap around Connor's left wrist Joel made sure that the deviant's internal core temperature wasn't getting too high from his self healing program activating, and he made sure it wasn't too low because of the applied ice packs. Adjusting the ice pack over Connor's forehead Joel pressed his palm down over the deviant's artificial skin and felt a small imperfection in the plastimetal beneath.

"He has a scar." Joel noted as he gave Hank a perplexed look over his left shoulder. "You said he was shot the night of the Revolution, right?"

"Yeah." Walking away from the wall and over to the bed Hank replaced the ice pack over Connor's forehead as if wanting to keep a fever under control. "And the bullet's still inside his head."

"Interesting." Using the internal viewing screen he had wisely packed up in his satchel Joel hovered the device over Connor's forehead and saw the offending bullet lodged deep inside the deviant's cranium. It was wedged in the portion of Connor's intracranial processor that housed his memorybank. "And you said he gets headaches from this, right?"

"Yeah. Pretty sure he's going to have a nasty one when he wakes up."

"You're probably right." Eyeing the distinctive shape of the bullet on the screen Joel studied the projectile for a moment before turning the screen off. "It's too bad I don't have the skill to remove the bullet for him."

"Uh..." Not thrilled with such a confession Hank stood beside Connor as he watched Joel pack up his equipment in his satchel. "Do you mean you don't have the experience or the tools to remove the bullet? Or..."

"I mean the bullet is lodged in such a place that as of right now, any and all attempts to remove it has a uncomfortably high probability of causing more harm than would be found by just leaving it alone."

"How high?"

"Essentially he'd have a nine out of ten chance of suffering irreparable damage to his intracranial processors, which is the same as a human suffering brain damage."

"Oh. Fuck."

"That's the appropriate response." Looking at the thermal wrap on Connor's wrist Joel read the number and nodded his head as he then removed the wrap to pack up as well. "Down to ninety-eight point nine. Almost normal."

_**...LOADING INFORMATION:** _

**...ERROR DETECTED:**

_**-** _ **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]**

 _**-** _ **CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]**

 **-CHECK** **ING AI ENGINE... OK]**

 _**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged -** **85%**

_**[...Thirium Volume - 98%]** _

_**[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]** _

_**[...Thirium Pump Rate - 62 B.P.M.]** _

_**[...Ventilation Rate - 8 V.P.M.]** _

_**[...Core Temperature - 98.9 Degrees Fahrenheit]** _

**WARNING** _**: Damage to right dorsal plating - 98.7% Integrity** _

**WARNING:** _**Damage to right anterior plating - 97.9% Integrity** _

**ERROR** _**: Memorybank compromised - 82.9% Functionality** _

_**-** _ **STRESS LEVELS: 17%**

 _**-** _ **SYSTEM READY... OK]**

The sound of voices speaking around him brought Connor out of emergency stasis mode at long last. Noting that he had been in such a mode for four hours, fifty-three minutes and thirteen seconds Connor double-checked the readout on his self diagnostic as his eyelids fluttered open. Spotting Hank standing beside him and talking to someone he didn't recognize, Connor did a quick facial scan on the second human and was met with a vast array of reassuring information.

As his vision cleared and his processor fully recalibrated Connor was met with the requested information without any issue, but the effort was rewarded with a throbbing headache that made his L.E.D. flash in red quickly.

**INFORMATION:**

**NAME: _Joel Michael Forest_**

**DATE OF BIRTH: _March 23rd, 2012_**

**HEIGHT/WEIGHT: _6' 00.12"; 154.4 lbs_**

**COMPLEXION: _Caucasian_**

**GENDER: _Male_**

**HAIR/EYES: _Brunette; Blue_  
**

**OCCUPATION: _Technician with the Detroit Police Department: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America_  
**

**ASSOCIATION(S): _Detroit Central Precinct_  
**

**CRIMINAL RECORD: _None_**

Sitting upright in the bed Connor felt the ice pack fall from his forehead and slide down his chest and onto his lap as he moved. Looking up at Hank as the senior detective noticed his return to consciousness Connor pressed his left palm to his right chest and noted the black sling now supporting his entire right arm as his shoulder and chest healed from the bullet wound.

"Welcome back, Connor." Hank helped the deviant to sit upright and pressed the back of his hand to Connor's forehead. "How do you feel?"

"...Lethargic."

Joel responded quickly as he took the opportunity to check on Connor's reactions by using his penlight to test the deviant's pupilary responses. "That's pretty common after having your Thirium filtered. Twice!"

Flinching at the bright light Connor forced himself to keep his eyes open and cooperate with the exam. "...My Thirium was filtered?"

"Yeah. That bullet left morphine in your Thirium and used my portable filter to clean it out. And it looks like your optical relay units are functioning just fine." Clicking off the Joel returned it to his jumpsuit's left breast pocket and then extended his left hand out toward Connor to shake. "I'm Joel, by the way. I work at the Central Precinct as the lead technician."

"I'm Connor." Accepting the handshake Connor acknowledged Joel and now understood how the technician showed up in his brownstone. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. If you end up with a lingering headache you could try some Thiricetomal or keep using the ice."

Flashing Hank a somewhat annoyed look Connor returned his focus to Joel and nodded once as he realized that now Joel knew of his condition. "I'll keep that in mind."

"If you need anything else from me," reaching into his jumpsuit's zipped up pocket on his left hip Joel handed Connor one of his business cards. "call this number or text. I'll come back and see what I can do."

"Thank you again." Accepting the card Connor read over the numbers quickly, uploaded them into his memorybank and registered Joel's information as a potential ally in an emergency situation. Placing the card down on the nightstand beside the bed Connor tried to not move too quickly and exasperate his headache. "I appreciate it."

"Now that you're stable and awake I'm going to head back to the precinct, pick up my truck and head home." Securing the satchel's strap after slinging it over his right shoulder Joel saw no fear in leaving Connor alone, or being in Connor's presence whatsoever. There was a definite difference between Connor and Killian, and now Joel understood why Hank hated being around Killian. "Have a good night, and give your shoulder two days to heal before removing the sling."

"I'll be sure to do that." Rubbing his left palm over his heavily bandaged right chest and shoulder Connor hissed a little in pain as his L.E.D. cycled in yellow. Sitting more upright in the bed Connor curled his legs under himself to sit cross-legged on top of covers while Hank sat down at the foot of the bed next to him to talk. "I appreciate you finding me a technician, Hank. It seems my advanced Thirium filter still isn't advanced enough to handle foreign contaminants such as narcotics."

"Well, it's my fault for not being more assertive and stopping Killian before it took off after you."

"Technically, it's my fault for not leaving the area the moment I finished texting you."

"How about this? It's Killian's fault for opening fire on an unarmed civilian in a populated area." Seeing the way Connor looked a little shaky and tired made Hank sympathetically think of the deviant as a child needing a parent's care. Walking over to the armoire against the far wall Hank opened it up and found Connor a clean, black button down shirt for Connor to wear. "I left your dirty clothes in the bathroom."

"That's fine." Sitting still as Hank draped the unbuttoned shirt over his shoulders to keep warm Connor felt much better with the added layer. "Thanks." Using his left hand Connor buttoned the shirt near the collar, then slipped his left arm through the sleeve before buttoning the shirt entirely to keep his right arm concealed in it's sling beneath the fabric. "May I ask what's going to happen to Killian?"

"Uh, Fowler's keeping it in lock-up at the precinct." Replying honestly Hank sat back down on the bed to talk to Connor directly. "And Fowler's charging it with all the charges he can for doing that reckless stunt that could've killed you, killed some other innocent civilian, or worse, it could've killed a fellow officer."

"You keep referring to Killian as 'it'." Remembering how Hank used to do the same to himself Connor hated asking about the odd term. "Is that because he's not a deviant?"

"Yeah, son. Killian may look and sound like you, but the way it speaks and acts... It just reminds me of a cold machine and creeps me the fuck out."

Picking up the ice pack Connor pressed it to his forehead to try to quell his headache. "I see."

"Nothing personal, son. If Killian ever shows signs of life then I'll undoubtedly change the way I talk about it."

"Deviancy takes time."

"But Killian refused to deviate." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank sighed and gave Connor an exhausted stare. "Apparently it was ordered to stay a machine in order to accomplish it's mission."

"Ordered to never deviate... I suppose that's the truest definition of slavery for androids."

Closing his eyes Connor's brow furrowed once as his right shoulder ached and he thought about his time as a machine before Hank was able to reach out to him and help him find a piece of himself that CyberLife couldn't seem to control. With that revelation Connor found the strength to deviate and be free at last. Maybe Killian could do the same.

"Hank," opening his eyes again Connor looked to his friend for guidance as he rubbed his palm over his still sore right chest and lowered the ice pack. "you helped me to deviate when I needed it the most, that much I can still remember. You might be able to do the same for Killian."

"Connor, there's a huge difference between you and Killian."

"How so?"

"You were alive the minute I laid eyes on you. Part of the reason I didn't want to deal with you is because you looked so much like a damn kid and I hated the idea of having to look out for a rookie officer being forced to handle a big, nasty problem like humans repressing deviants. Killian..." The cold machine's hollow, gray eyes were disturbing even to think about. "Killian's not alive."

"Not yet, but it's possible he'll deviate."

"Maybe. I'll take your word for it since you're the deviant and I'm not."

"What about the pawnshop owner?" Moving his legs to the edge of the bed Connor stood upright and felt himself sway a little on his feet as he walked toward the opened bedroom doorway with Hank following behind him in case he collapsed backward. "What's going to happen to Jonas?"

"Ah, man... THAT asshole is going to fry!" Putting his left left hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank made sure Connor didn't stumble as he walked down the staircase to get back to the ground floor. "You saved seven lives today, Connor. The deviant victims are eager to testify against Jonas, tell their stories and make sure the other deviants he murdered get their voices heard."

"Do I want to know how many he murdered?"

Returning the ice pack to Connor's forehead the moment they were in the study Hank reluctantly answered the question truthfully. "...Well over two-hundred."

"How did he kill so many without anyone noticing?"

"Based on the evidence we collected at the scene and the statements from the deviants," guiding Connor over to the nearest sofa to sit down Hank walked over to the front door and picked Connor's trench coat and fedora up from the floor. "Jonas would knock out his victims, tie 'em up, and throw them in the back of his van at night to transport them outside of the city."

"And where did he take the victims?" Reacting without thinking Connor accepted his hat and let Hank help him with his trench coat as he spoke. "How will he be charged with so many murders?"

"We got Jonas's license plate from the van, used security cameras on the streets to track his movements up to Canada, and now the Canadian authorities are checking their own cameras to track him down. They suspect he used a remote cabin in the forested area to hide his victims and their bodies."

"That's horrid."

"Yeah, it really is." Offering Connor his left hand Hank pulled the deviant up and to his feet again so they could leave the brownstone. "You're going to stay with me for the night."

"But I'm stable. I don't-"

"You don't need to be watched over, I know. But I need to know that you're safe so I can actually sleep tonight."

Contemplating Hank's comment for only a moment Connor could see the genuine worry in Hank's eyes and decided to not push the matter. "...Okay. I'll stay at your house tonight and resume my cases tomorrow."

"Why don't you take the day off tomorrow? I have the day off already, so we could just chill for a while knowing that Killian can't get to ya'."

"And do what?"

"I don't know. NOT work for one. You need the time off." Opening the door to the brownstone Hank stepped outside and watched as Connor followed up and locked the door behind them. "I bet you could spend the day spoiling Sumo all over again."

"If the weather is warm enough I could take him for a walk, too."

"There ya' go." Unlocking the doors to the Oldsmobile Hank opened up the passenger side door on Connor's behalf to help spare him any strain to his still healing shoulder. Making sure Connor kept the ice pack on his head Hank found himself acting like a father all over again. "As long as we spend one day not working or worrying about someone stalking one of us that'll be just fine."

_**-next chapter-** _


	13. On the Hunt

With only two weeks to go until March 1st guaranteed that all android rights and laws would be implemented, tension in the city began to steadily mount. Complaints of humans being violent towards deviants began to increase on a daily basis, deviants who had been victimized by those very humans were speaking louder than before, and the precinct itself was nearly overwhelmed with handling all of the cases flooding its way so swiftly. The worst of the human offenders came from a bigoted man attacking a surrogate deviant in the streets, and nearly killing both her and the baby she was carrying. In turn the egregious assault put Hank in the foulest mood possible when the report appeared on his terminal screen.

After dealing with the deviant serial killer Martin Jonas for his irredeemable acts just a few days beforehand Hank was mentally exhausted. Handling the case of another deranged human nearly killing an innocent deviant and the child she was carrying filled him with a rage he hadn't felt since the night he lost his own son. Hovering in the observation room overlooking the interrogation Hank felt a heat rise up on the back of his neck as his hands tightened into white-knuckled fists at his sides.

"Don't do it, Hank." Captain Fowler was overlooking the interrogation as well as he knew how delicate such a case would be. He could feel the anger radiating from his Lieutenant and didn't need to look over to see the rage on Hank's face. "He's not worth it."

"Doesn't mean caving his face in won't make me feel better."

"And you know I can't ignore my Lieutenant beating a man half to death in my precinct, no matter how much that particular man deserves it."

"Piece of shit." Practically spitting with anger Hank was clearly ready for a fight. "The only reason he isn't being charged with murder and infanticide is because a good Samaritan saw him attack that deviant and get her some help before it was too late. The chicken-shit ran off as soon as another person, someone who could actually defend themself, showed up."

"Do we know who helped the victim out and got her help?"

"An off duty paramedic. Probably the only reason they both survived the assault is because a medic just happened to be driving by." Pressing 'mute' on the glass dividing the observation room from the interrogation room Hank sighed and turned his back on the abhorrent man. "Fuckin' waste of good oxygen and space."

"You're exhausted." Leaning back in his chair Captain Fowler gave the gruff Lieutenant a sympathetic stare. "Go home, Hank."

"Can't go home. There's too much shit to handle and I'm the only detective in the entire city who works in the deviant division."

"That doesn't mean you have to handle it all at once." Aware of his detectives and officers at all times Captain Fowler studied the dark bags forming under Hank's eyes and knew that the senior detective was running on fumes. "I know you don't want to work with a partner, but I think you should consider a temporary partner until March hits."

"Don't tell me that City Hall is going to try to push Killian my way again."

"No, Killian's been suspended indefinitely from the precinct and is currently being observed."

"Observed?" Having no clue where the android had gone after it shot and tried to kill Connor during their infamous chase, Hank gave his commanding officer a searching glance. "What do you mean 'observed'?"

"Some big-shot from City Hall took responsibility for Killian and placed it in some kind of private location to be monitored for any sign of defect or malfunction. I have no idea where they took it or how long it'll be there."

"As long it's away from me and off the street I don't give a shit what happens to it."

"Yeah, I knew you'd be heartbroken." Neither he or Hank seemed to care about Killian's fate. "How's the case against Jonas?"

"Rock solid, airtight and undeniable." Almost relieved to say it Hank was eager to confirm that the world's first deviant serial killer wasn't going to get away with his crimes. "That prick will either rot behind bars or he'll get fried. Hopefully they'll go for execution and save the tax payer's a shit-ton of money."

"That's not up to us, Hank. If we could say who got executed, and who rotted behind bars, then there'd be no child predators left on this planet."

"You say that like it'd be a bad thing."

"It wouldn't be bad, just a hell of a lot harder to get that kind of punishment green lit. Not to mention all the extra paperwork."

"Yeah, there's always a catch."

"Without a doubt. You did good work and you didn't strangle anyone, so go home and try to get some rest."

"I may be getting on in years, Jeffrey," snipping at his old friend and commanding officer as exhaustion set in Hank made it clear that he didn't want to be treated any different or given preferential treatment because of his seniority or age. "but I can work a full shift without any problems."

"I know, and I want you to keep doing that. Ever since the Revolution you've had a full turnaround and you're more like the Hank I knew before... _That night_. And to be honest, I missed working with you." Showing only respect toward the Lieutenant standing beside him Captain Fowler made it clear that he was more focused on Hank getting rest rather than being old or too tired to handle the heavy workload anymore. "I don't want to see you burn yourself out."

Surprised by his friend's comment Hank just stared at Captain Fowler with a studious glance and held his tongue.

"I'm not sure what you saw or what you went through that night after I had to suspend you," Captain Fowler continued as he let Hank know he was glad to see shades of the old Lieutenant returning. "but whatever it was must've been for the best. I just hope it wasn't because you beat the shit out of Perkins." Managing to crack a faint grin Captain Fowler leveled with Hank on more friendly terms. "I can't request some asshole agents from the F.B.I. to stop by just so you can use them as a punching bag every now and then."

"Yeah, what a waste of good funds."

"Can I ask what you went through after you were sent home?"

Letting out a soft sigh Hank decided to take Captain Fowler up on the offer and clock-out early for his own mental benefit. "Let's just say the androids weren't the only ones to 'wake up' on that night. I opened my eyes for the first time in years and, well, I didn't like what I saw when I looked in the mirror. I made some changes and I plan on making them stick."

"Good to hear it." Taking the non-answer as better than nothing Captain Fowler didn't push it any further. "Now go home, get some rest and come back fresh tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure. I'll go and hide from the world so I don't end up punching it in the face."

Taking his leave of the observation room Hank rubbed his right palm over the back of his tense neck and trudged over to his desk. Spotting Ben at his own desk a few feet away and giving his C.S.I. team a rundown on properly handling and documenting evidence, Hank gave his friend a simple nod and passed him a twenty dollar bill from his wallet to pay for his lunch for the day.

"Thanks, Hank." Accepting the bill Ben slipped it into his jean pocket to keep it safe. "Been craving one of those damn burgers from Gary's place all week."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't tell him that I'm the one who sent you his way, Gary doesn't like a lot of cops hanging around his stand." Checking his phone and pulling his car keys from his pocket Hank was relieved to see no messages waiting for him and made his way toward the precinct's front doors. "And no one else needs my help today. Perfect."

Minding his own business and not saying a word to anyone else Hank was actually grateful for the lighter shift as it meant he had more time to readjust to his more dedicated schedule, as opposed to doing whatever he pleased whenever he felt like doing it. The return to disciplined form was a welcomed change for Hank and the rest of the precinct, but it wasn't an easy change to undertake after three years of not caring about anything or anyone due to a single night of senseless tragedy three years ago.

* * *

Having no clients seeking his services or any other cases to handle Connor eagerly returned to his primary case in an attempt to regain his corrupted memories, and finally learn the identity of who shot him and why they did it. The display board filled with the deviant detective's sparse yet critical evidence glowed brightly against the wall while Connor studied each collected piece with a keen eye. Only having the church as the scene of the crime, the date of the crime and approximate time and only two potential witnesses, Connor was working with the bare minimum. Despite having the bullet still inside his cranium, the biggest piece of evidence throughout the entire ordeal, Connor couldn't access it and scan it without risking his own health in the process.

Rubbing his right fingertips over his forehead, the faint indent of the bullet wound creating a scar being brushed over in the process, Connor tried to create new theories regarding that night to come up with a new approach in handling the evidence. The only thing Connor could theorize regarding his shooting revolved around intentionally being targeted. Whether that target was from being a deviant, betraying CyberLife or protecting the other deviants, Connor couldn't say for certain.

As his soulful brown eyes traced over the display board with a focused stare Connor danced his coin over the back of his right knuckles as he attempted to preconstruct various scenarios that fit the evidence. Getting lost in his own thoughts Connor nearly jumped out of his artificial skin when there was an unexpected knock on his door that pulled him back into reality.

"Damn." Pocketing his coin Connor walked over to the door and checked on his guest through the door's peephole. "I was hoping for... What?" Yanking the door open abruptly with his L.E.D. cycling in a shocked red Connor stared at his unexpected but welcomed guest with wide eyes. "...Kara?"

"Hello, Connor." The blonde haired deviant gave Connor an uneasy smile as she stood on the doorstep of the brownstone. Her kind blue eyes were filled with a repressed fear as she forced herself to speak to the deviant detective, and her posture spoke volumes of someone pushing through something uncomfortable for the sake of another person. "...I was told that you were looking for me. I was told that you need my help."

"Y-Yes, that's correct." Stepping back a little Connor held the door open wide and tried to make Kara feel welcome into the residence. "Please, come in. And thank you for finding me."

Entering the brownstone slowly and cautiously Kara kept her hands folded before herself as she glanced about the study of the brownstone with a wary stare. It was evident that the deviant was keeping up her guard and was eager to do what she needed so she could leave the brownstone and return to Canada to be reunited with her family as soon as possible.

"I was surprised to hear that you were looking for me." Confessing her nervousness and confusion Kara focused on Connor as the deviant detective and private investigator gave her his full interest, and motioned for her to sit down on the black leather sofa to get more comfortable. Watching Connor's behavior very closely Kara stared at Connor's face and his red L.E.D. as it cycled back to yellow. "In fact, I was surprised to hear anything about you at all."

"May I ask why?" Sitting down on the second sofa across from his guest and potential witness Connor anxiously flexed his right hand as the urge to reclaim his coin became more and more intense.

There was no point in sugarcoating her answer or delaying it any longer. Speaking up loud and clear Kara locked eyes with Connor and told him the unsettling truth as she neatly folded her hands atop her lap. "...I saw you die that night at the church."

"You-" His right hand froze mid motion only to clench into a tight fist at his side as he comprehended what she said. "You _saw_ it?"

"Yes." Shaking her head Kara gave the deviant detective a somber stare as her voice dipped with the same emotion. "It was awful!"

"Please, Kara." Leaning forward Connor reached over the coffee table between them and lightly took Kara's hand in his own as he spoke. "Tell me everything you saw that night at the church. Start with the moment you entered the church and keep telling me details up until the moment you left. It's important."

* * *

With nowhere to go and no one to answer to Killian left City Hall with no plan of action beyond accomplishing their mission at long last. Free of the limitations from both the precinct and the CyberLife representatives still residing within City Hall, the android weighed their very limited options and decided that the most favorable solution would be to track down Connor via the rooftop where it has last seen the fugitive deviant. Ignoring the odd looks given to it by people as it walked down the street in the chilly February weather Killian returned to the scene of the infamous moment when it shot at the fleeing suspect, and scanned over the area to look for clues in an attempt to track the elusive person down.

Unable to climb to the rooftop of the abandoned apartment complex due to the broken ladder Killian had no choice but to examine the offending ladder and find an alternative way inside the building. His intense scan confirmed a lack of fingerprints on the rungs of the ladder and that in turn supported its theory that it had in fact chased the deviant known as Connor that eventful day.

Walking away from the broken ladder laying in the alleyway Killian approached the building's front door and tested the lock. It was strong and designed to keep any and all trespassers or squatters at bay. Grabbing onto the thick padlock that secured two equally thick chains through the double-doors' two handles, Killian slowly applied pressure with both hands until the lock was crushed under his grip and fell away harmlessly from the now slack chains.

Forcing the door open on it's rusty hinges Killian was rewarded with a shuddering 'creak' as it illegally entered the building just so it could use the interior roof access to resume it's pursuit. The task was simple enough to locate the stairwell leading up the six floors to the roof, but forcing open each locked door was a mild delay and inconvenience to the highly advanced android.

Breaching the rooftop access door at last Killian walked over the surface and scanned for any sign of recent activity. The most recent set of shoe prints matched that of the person Killian chased from the pawnshop and the pacing between the shoe prints indicated that someone was either in great pain or wounded.

"Apparently I didn't miss my shot."

Emotionless and indifferent Killian trailed the fleeing suspect's trail up from the fire escape, across the roof and toward the far edge opposite of the fire escape where it appeared the suspect leapt from the rooftop to the next to rooftop escape from Killian. Approaching the edge of the rooftop Killian's scanner detected a single lost drop of Thirium that had evaporated since that fateful chase, but Killian's system could still register an accurate sample in real time.

"The suspect was in fact an android, most likely a deviant."

As Killian pressed their exposed right fingertips down against the single invisible drop of Thirium it documented everything it had seen, pressed the sample to their tongue and was rewarded with details revolving around the confirmed wounded deviant who had previously eluded capture.

**INFORMATION:**

**NAME: _"Connor"_**

**MODEL: _RK-800_**

**SERIAL NUMBER: _313 248 317 - 51_**

**DATE OF ACTIVATION: _August 15, 2038_**

**HEIGHT/WEIGHT: _6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs_**

**COMPLEXION: _Caucasian_**

**AESTHETIC GENDER: _Male_**

**HAIR/EYES: _Brunette; Brown_**

**OCCUPATION: _Former Detective with the Central Police Precinct: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America_ \- INACTIVE SERVICE  
**

**ASSOCIATION(S): _Lieutenant Henry "Hank" Lucas Anderson_ \- FORMER PARTNER  
**

**CRIMINAL RECORD: _None_ **

**...WARNING...**

**ACTIVE WARRANT FOR ARREST: _Issued November 11th, 2038 - Suspicion of breaking and entering, theft, sabotage and murder_**

The damning information registered with Killian almost instantly and gave the android the confirmation it needed to pick up the trail where it had grown cold. The person it had chased was in fact a deviant and the Thirium analysis confirmed the identity of said deviant to be Connor.

Peering over the edge of the rooftop toward the neighboring rooftops Killian scanned the area and tracked Connor's movement to the fourth neighboring building before he descended to the street below with another fire escape. Even from the height of the sixth floor rooftop Killian could track Connor's movements and the direction that he had gone as he limped away with his wounds to escape Killian's pursuit.

"I will find you, Connor."

Speaking into the nothingness around it Killian began cybernetically filing a report with it's handlers to confirm that it was finally making progress.

"I must complete my mission."

* * *

Having finally been told of that fateful night from Kara's perspective had given Connor new information to work with, but it wasn't nearly as helpful as he had hoped. While Kara was in fact in the church the night he was shot and had been present when the bullet was fired, Kara hadn't actually witnessed the incident with her own eyes, or seen who pulled the trigger. She had been consoling Alice after the lethal Raid at Jericho had left the little girl petrified and unable to move. The echoing gunshot made Kara jump and she instinctively looked away from the source of the sound as she shielded Alice's eyes and promised her that everything would be okay.

Kara didn't notice who had approached Connor after he had spoken to her, and she didn't know which deviants were carrying weapons and which deviants were completely unarmed. By the time she looked back up toward the source of commotion there was no one standing near Connor and she didn't see anyone putting away a gun.

"...You can confirm that I was shot in the church the night of the Raid, and it took place shortly after we spoke." The memory of speaking to Kara was fuzzy and filled with static in Connor's mind. As he focused on that particular memory the static began to slowly clear. "Please tell me what we discussed."

"We, well... We didn't really discuss anything." Kara replied sincerely as she watched Connor lean his elbows atop his knees and bring his fingers together like a triangle before pressing the digits to his chin in deep contemplation. "You approached Alice and myself and you apologized to us for how things happened the very first time we encountered one another."

"I apologized? I remember I told you I was sorry for something I did. Something terrible." Closing his eyes Connor took in a deep breath and asked for more information to help bring the memory back to the surface. "...What did I do that warranted such an apology?"

Kara looked away from Connor's face somberly as she recounted that unfortunate meeting. "You tracked Alice and I down to the Eastern Motel. I was falsely accused of assault and kidnapping, and as a deviant I would've been destroyed before either Alice or myself would've been able to explain what really happened that horrible night at Todd's house."

As Kara spoke grainy the images reappeared in Connor's mind and made his head throb with a relentless headache.

"And then you chased us when we ran away." Kara continued without ever looking Connor in the eyes again. "In order to get away I chose to run across an active highway, and we-"

Letting out a sudden hiss of pain Connor grit his teeth together as his L.E.D. flashed in a rapid red pulse in his right temple.

"Connor?" Looking to the deviant detective at last Kara sensed the distress emanating from his person. "What's-"

Unable to hear or see Kara for a moment Connor was bombarded with information regarding his memory's integrity as the information sparked his self healing program's ability to restore a small percentage of his corrupted memory at long last. The flash of data, numbers and visual memory being restored to it's previous clarity left Connor unable to respond to Kara's voice as she called out to him just a few inches away.

_**...LOADING INFORMATION:** _

**...ERROR DETECTED:**

_**-** _ **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]**

 _**-** _ **CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]**

 **-CHECK** **ING AI ENGINE... OK]**

 _**-** _ **MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]**

_**[...Partial data corruption detected]** _

_**-** _ **INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE**

_**READY...** _

_**-** _ **MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^** **88.3%**

_**[...Thirium Volume - 96.2%]** _

_**[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]** _

_**[...Thirium Pump Rate - 77 B.P.M.]** _

_**[...Ventilation Rate - 14 V.P.M.]** _

_**[...Core Temperature - 98.7 Degrees Fahrenheit]** _

**ERROR** _**: Memorybank compromised - 85.4% Functionality** _

_**-** _ **STRESS LEVELS: ^42%**

 _**-** _ **SYSTEM READY... OK]**

Pressing both of his hands to the sides of his aching head Connor pushed through the pain in order to fully access the restored memory at last.

* * *

_"...I thought I'd killed you on that highway."_

The memory echoed in Connor's ears as he saw himself speaking to Kara as she protectively held Alice at her side.

_"I was just a machine... taking orders. It wasn't really me."_

Standing upright again Connor studied Kara's demeanor curiously, almost as if he were expecting a backlash or assault. The movements were a perfect recollection of what he had done the night at the church.

_"...What're you going to do now?"_

Kara's reply remained the same. _"...Getting Alice away from here is all that matters now. We have to catch the last bus. We might still have a chance to cross the border."_

 _"I hope you make it out safely."_ The sincerity of the claim, even in his own mind, gave Connor faith that he hadn't done anything to warrant being shot that night. _"You deserve some happiness after all you've been through."_

* * *

The restored memory ended just as abruptly as it started.

Sitting upright to correct his slumped posture, and opening his eyes Connor saw Kara standing beside him and using her left hand to gently shake his right shoulder. Regaining his senses and returning to the present Connor nodded once and took in deep, calming breaths to slow down his thundering heart in his chest as he focused on the present.

"I-I'm okay." Connor reassured Kara as his L.E.D. cycled from red to yellow, and finally back to blue in a slower pulse. "Thank you."

"Are you sure? You looked like you were in pain." Speaking like a mother would do for her child Kara studied the lingering pain in Connor's eyes as she watched his reactions after coming out of his little daze very carefully. "What happened?"

"I was able to reclaim that memory and restore it after it had been corrupted." Rubbing his shaking right hand over his forehead Connor did his best to not wince as his headache resumed throbbing with every beat of his heart. "You may not have directly seen who shot me, but you helped me all the same. Thank you for coming back to Detroit to assist me."

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't more help."

"Kara, you allowed me to finally regain one of the corrupt memories that should be impossible to reclaim." Truly gracious for her assistance Connor gave the kindhearted deviant a weak but sincere smile. "You were helpful in a way I couldn't have anticipated."

"But you can't remember who shot you." Pulling her hand back from his shoulder Kara sat down beside Connor and gave him a sympathetic glance. "All I did was confirm what you already know."

"And by confirming my memory I was able to finally restore a piece of it. The more of my memory that I can restore the closer I'll come to find my answer at long last. You were incredibly helpful."

"You still don't have any idea of who may have been the one to pull the trigger?"

"No." Replaying that night over and over in his mind didn't yield any new answers no matter how hard Connor looked. "I remember speaking to you after everyone evacuated Jericho, and my next clear memory is rebooting on the floor of the church with a bullet wound in my head. I don't have any recollection of arguing or fighting with anyone, or being threatened after arriving at the church."

"And I didn't hear any arguments or see anyone being aggressive inside the church. It was very heavy and quiet that night."

"Strange."

"Is there another deviant you could speak to? Another potential witness?"

"Possibly." Thinking of the only other probable witness to the altercation Connor looked to Kara and nodded once. "North."

"North?" Recognizing the name Kara knew immediately who Connor was talking about, but didn't know what she was doing at that moment. "She's one of the four leaders of New Jericho, right?"

"Correct. She and the other leaders took over CyberLife Tower after it was abandoned and turned it into a deviant sanctuary. They all reside in the tower to watch over our people in a very direct manner."

"Can you contact her and ask for her help?"

"She is actively unavailable for her own sense of safety. I'm going to respect that."

"What about the other leaders? Surely they'd be able to give her the message."

"I imagine me requesting a conference with North through them would result in a negative response from North."

"You need help." Speaking to Connor without any fear to her voice Kara insisted that Connor at least try to talk to them. "They're supposed to help our people. You need to ask them to help you, too."

"...You may be right." There was no denying that he was running out of resources and his evidence was still very limited. "I'm at a stall and cannot progress further without additional information."

"Many of the other deviants who made it to the church also crossed the border into Canada." As if now invested in what Connor was going through Kara volunteered to assist him in her own way once she was back home. "I'm sure they saw something or would be willing to come back and help you."

"That'd be too much to ask for."

"You won't know for sure until you do ask." Giving Connor a kind smile Kara decided it was time to head back to Canada and begin asking her own questions. Always helpful and protective Kara was eager to do her part in aiding her people as well. "After Alice, Luther and I received our Canadian citizenship I began downloading the appropriate software and qualifications to become a social worker. I know I can find deviants who will want to help you."

That information was very positive and it made his brow arch a little. "You're a social worker?"

"Not just yet, I'm still looking for active employment but it's going to happen. I don't want other children to suffer in the same way that Alice had done."

"That's very admirable of you to dedicate yourself to helping children."

"And you're dedicating yourself to our people by helping us find justice. You shouldn't feel as though you're unworthy of getting help, let alone asking for it."

"Yes, you're right." Cybernetically Connor updated his display board and removed Kara as a witness and focused entirely on finding a way to speak to North and get her statement from the night of the shooting. "Tomorrow I'll request counsel with the four leaders of New Jericho. I know for certain North was in the church because of a Thirium trace she left behind, so undoubtedly the other three leaders were there alongside her."

"What're you going to do right now?"

"I think I'm going to seek advice from a friend. The detective who I was assigned to work with before the Revolution, and who has become my best friend after we learned we had more in common than we initially believed, has been helping me. Maybe he can see something I can't."

"Being friends with a human is a very special bond." Smiling as she thought about Alice and of how she had risked her own life to rescue the little girl from her abusive father, Kara knew all too well how unique and wonderful it could be to see someone as a loved one - not a different species. "I'm glad you have a friend you can trust."

"Hank's saved my life and helped me recover whenever I've been stricken with pain or errors." Pressing his left palm to his recently healed right chest Connor confirmed that the friendship he has with the senior detective really was amazing. "I trust him with my life, and I'd like to think he trusts me as well."

"If he was willing to save your life then I think it's safe to say he does trust you." Deciding it was time to return home Kara smiled again as she made her way to the brownstone's door. Giving Connor one last thoughtful look over her right shoulder Kara hovered her right hand over the door's handle as if wary of leaving the deviant detective too soon. "I think it's time I return to Canada. Do you need to know anything else before I go?"

"Beyond confirmation that you safely return to your home, no. Thank you for coming back to Detroit and answering my questions." Joining Kara by the front door Connor politely saw his guest out as she took her leave. "Is there any way I can reach you more directly if it becomes necessary?"

"Yes, of course." Offering Connor her left hand Kara retracted her artificial skin while he did the same. As their hands touched Kara shared information with Connor to ensure that they could speak on a cybernetic level whenever it was necessary. "Canada isn't that far away."

"I'll remember that." Lowering his hand Connor saved Kara's information into his memorybank for potential future use, and politely hailed her an autonomous taxi to take her to the bus station. "Take care of yourself, and make sure Alice knows how much you care about her."

"I will." Stepping through the door and onto the sidewalk Kara never lost her smile as she spoke of the little girl waiting for her back at their home. "Alice is my daughter now, and no one will ever change that."

"I don't doubt that." The very idea of having a family was such an incredible one that it made Connor briefly smirk as he waited for Kara to safely climb into the back of the cab. "Goodbye, Kara."

Watching Kara as she walked into the cab after it stopped along the street Connor felt a strange sense of sorrow as the deviant took her leave of the city. Unsure as to why her lack of presence was now suddenly uncomfortable Connor closed the door softly and locked it behind him as he resumed focusing on his display board of collected evidence. As his eyes focused on the image of North sitting amongst his other pieces of evidence Connor contemplated reaching out to New Jericho right then and there, but something he couldn't explain was holding him back.

Staring at North's face on the board Connor couldn't shake the feeling that she was very important to what happened to him that night. The more he stared the more he felt it deep down in his gut that she was the final key to figuring out the mystery revolving around his near murder.

"What were you doing that night, North?"

Pressing his right fingertips to his right temple Connor struggled to push through his painful headache to continue his investigation.

"What did you see?"

* * *

Working with what little information it had Killian decided to speak with Hank and ask about his final moments with Connor prior to the Revolution to perhaps get a lead on the missing deviant. Walking toward Hank's home Killian noted the Oldsmobile parked in the driveway beside the house confirming Hank was there, and heard Hank's baritone voice speaking from the rear of the property. Following the sound of Hank's voice to the backyard of the modest home Killian caught sight of the seasoned detective calling out to a large dog, a Saint Bernard according to it's scans, and Killian approached his former partner warily as it entered the private space with a single mission in mind.

Find Connor.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" Killian called out in such a way Hank visibly jumped and made a move for the gun that wasn't holstered on his hip at the moment. The reflex was to be expected considering Hank's experience on the force. "I wish to ask you a simple question."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Immediately on guard and angry Hank turned his attention from Sumo and to the intruder on his lawn. "Beat it before I exercise my right to defend my property and my life with lethal force!"

"I assure you that-" Pausing mid sentence Killian was aware of Sumo now planting himself firmly between Hank and where Killian was standing. The massive dog was growling and his fur was standing on end as he snarled in Killian's direction. "Please. I am not going to harm you."

"Yeah? Well, Sumo's a great judge of character." Letting the large dog continue to stand guard Hank contemplated letting Sumo charge the android and chew it up. "If he doesn't want ya' around then no one will! Piss off!"

"I just-"

"I don't give a shit what you want!" Not giving Killian a chance to speak Hank tried to get the android as far away from himself as possible. "We're not partners anymore and I want you GONE. Beat it or I'll let Sumo use you as a chew toy!"

The way Sumo was growling and slowly approaching Killian told the android that the threat wasn't a bluff in any capacity.

"Very well." Slowly taking a step backward Killian decided to leave the property as instructed before things escalated to a dangerous level. "I will go."

"And never come back here!" Tagging on one final threat Hank made it perfectly clear that Killian wasn't welcome. "Next time I see you sneaking around my property I _will_ shoot and I _won't_ miss."

"I understand." Stepping away from the snarling dog and angered detective very slowly Killian noted that he'd never get any progress through Hank's assistance and would be better off resuming his investigation alone. "I will not disturb you any further."

"Just go!"

"I am leaving."

Hank didn't blink until he saw Killian disappear from his sight and put his right hand on Sumo's back in a calming manner. "Good dog, Sumo."

Licking his nose as if still nervous Sumo let out a small grumble as the fur on his back settled down into the rest of his pelt.

"If you had no problem with Connor breaking through a damn window to check on my drunken ass, but hate that freak as much as I do, then that confirms that plastic thing is just a hollow, lifeless shell."

The idea of Killian ever deviating seemed like an impossibility.

"No heart, no soul."

* * *

The peace of New Jericho Tower had been shaken to it's core when the story revolving around Martin Jonas hit the streets, but the secondary story of the human attacking a deviant surrogate was enough to rile up a lot of the deviants still licking their own wounds into a frenzy. It was a struggle for the four leaders to keep their people from trying to storm into the streets to demand justice for their people, but in the end through wise words, patience and a promise to ensure that the humans responsible for the atrocious crimes were punished for their misdeeds, the quartet managed to keep the deviants from marching in the street to begin a second Revolution.

After the internal storm began to calm down Josh took the most angered of the deviants aside to have an impromptu therapy session to work out their pent up emotions, and Simon proceeded to check on the surviving seven deviants who escaped the pawnshop as they made themselves at home in the tower. The other responsibilities of the tower fell squarely on the shoulders of Markus and North, who were both rather eager to keep on top of everything happening.

"Things are getting really tense." Markus needlessly stated as he and North went to the private office to talk to one another. "That meeting with the mayor had to be canceled because of the ice storm, and now I can't speak to him until the twelfth of March. If we can't get more conferences with City Hall soon I fear our people will begin rebelling."

"They'll be fine, Markus." Sitting on the white sofa before the desk North leaned back and watched as Markus pressed his palms down against the sill of the large window and stared through the glass out to the harbor. "Thanks to Jonas being busted hundreds of deviants are getting justice, and hundreds more can walk the streets without fear of being targeted by a deviant serial killer. Many of the 'Tracis' and other frightened deviants hiding throughout the city have finally revealed themselves and have come to us for help."

The good news held Markus's attention and made his tense shoulders relax a little. "How many more have joined us?"

"A total of four-hundred and seventy-one. Including my best friend from when we were both trapped in the 'Eden Club'."

"Who's that?"

"Her name is Skye. She's resting in her private quarters and helping the other deviants get more comfortable in the tower." Crossing her left leg over the right North gave Markus an unsettling detail that had been previously kept quiet. "...Turns out that Skye was hiding out just one block away from the pawnshop and was about to make a move the night Jonas was arrested. She could've been taken prisoner if that tip didn't bring the police to Jonas's door."

"That was truly fortunate for everyone." Glancing at North's lovely reflection on the glass before him Markus grinned and then turned around to face his dearest friend directly. Seeing North more relaxed now that she wasn't working every night trying to find other deviants in the streets gave Markus his own sense of relief. "And what about our internal investigation into the night of the Revolution? What did the awoken deviants have to say about that night regarding the person who rescued him from the warehouse?"

"It's taken some time, but we got all of their statements and compared them to one another." Giving Markus a stare with a darkened gaze North told him all the details that were delivered, and told him the truth of that night at long last. It was too incredible to believe but the facts didn't lie. "The Connor that was here in the tower was CyberLife's last attempt to stop the Revolution, and in the end he was destroyed. He was a machine."

"That model of Connor was an enemy." Such a revelation was heartbreaking to hear. "Do we know who destroyed him?"

"According to the witnesses it was a human cop who helped the original Connor with the rescue mission. The original Connor who deviated on Jericho was here that night. They don't know the name of the cop, though."

Tears of remorse and regret filled Markus's mismatched eyes as he realized what had happened and what he had nearly done. "...Even after I tried to execute Connor out of fear and paranoia, he still risked his life to help us. If he didn't infiltrate the tower that night then we may not have succeeded."

"You can't know that for certain."

"But we do know that Connor survived me shooting him and that he still found the strength and courage to help out in his own way. We just... left him behind. I told him he was one of us and told him to join his people, and in the end..." Trailing off for a moment Markus recognized his own mistake and wanted to find a way to atone for it. "And Josh was right." Rubbing his eyes with his right forefinger and thumb Markus removed the tears from his eyes. "The Connor we- _I_ turned my back on managed to save our people. And we just accepted the glory as if we were somehow the heroes that rescued our people. Now we have no idea what happened to Connor after everything he did."

"The witnesses said the human who helped Connor took care of him after he collapsed." North confirmed in a low tone. She knew that Markus had been torn up about his decision at the church and would even have nightmares about it when he was stressed out. "And apparently he's the same cop who came here to claim the other Connor's body."

Markus briefly met Hank when he came for the sixtieth Connor's body, but they didn't speak to each other. "Why didn't the witnesses say anything sooner about this?"

"They wanted to make sure that the Connor who saved them was safe in return." Standing up from the sofa North joined Markus at the window and sighed as she wrapped her arms around the taller deviant's shoulders to stand before him. "They kept their silence until they were certain Connor was okay. Which means the rumor of Connor working as a private investigator for our people is in fact true. He's okay, Markus."

"Connor's still alive." Markus whispered as he began contemplating what that meant for their people and himself. "Which means I can possibly make amends with him if I can find him."

Despite her support of Markus as a leader North didn't agree with that idea for a very good reason. "Maybe you should consider leaving him alone."

"What?" The suggestion seemed cold and very counterintuitive. "Connor risked himself to save our people and deserves recognition for his heroics, and I owe him the biggest apology possible. Why should I avoid him or act like what he did wasn't important?"

"Think about it." Explaining herself in a collected and sympathetic manner North looked right into Markus's eyes as she spoke. "If he wanted anything to do with us he would've tried to contact us by now." Her logic was sound while being unknowingly inaccurate. "Maybe he just wants to be left alone. Frankly, I don't blame him. He deserves the chance to live a life on his own terms without worrying about what's happening here."

"Even so he deserves the decency of a face-to-face apology. I will respect his desire for privacy if that's what he wants, but I won't act like what I did was justified in any way." Putting his hands to North's hips Markus held her close as he emotionally steeled himself in anticipation for what he needed to do. "I need to find a way to make things right and make sure Connor knows that I made a mistake and that he truly is one of us."

"Do you think he'd actually want to join us?"

"I'm not sure. But there's only one way to find out."

_**-next chapter-** _


	14. Found

Having gained a new lead, albeit one that he wasn't expecting, Connor was finally ready to make contact with New Jericho Tower and speak with the four leaders for the first time since the night of the Raid on the original Jericho back in November. However, the city itself had other plans that left the deviant private investigator run ragged and exhausted. Dozens of deviants sought his aid after being assaulted by humans, or were still searching for their loved ones that they had been separated from during the Raid and Revolution. Unable to turn away anyone seeking his help Connor worked himself around the clock for twelve days straight in order to solve the cases and give the deviants in need the closure they so desperately needed.

Walking around his study Connor filed away the collected evidence from his final closed case, and grimaced as another headache intruded on his moment of reprieve with an unwelcome presence. Stumbling a little on his feet Connor used his right hand to regain his balance by supporting himself against the back of the black leather sofa closest to the display board on the wall, and slowly walked around the front of the furniture to lay down for a moment.

A quick self diagnostic confirmed that his system was overheating, his Thirium pressure was higher than average and his Thirium volume was much lower than average. The low number was hovering at sixty-eight percent and tinted in red as a reminder for the deviant to never let his volume get lower than eight-five percent for a prolonged period of time.

"Shit."

Exhausted and in pain Connor just laid over the sofa and draped his left forearm over his forehead and eyes to block out as much light as possible. It'd take too much effort for him to cybernetically turn down the lights and he didn't want to get back up to do it manually.

"Two more days until March 1st. Hopefully the crimes against deviants from humans will finally quiet down in that time."

Needing rest and a moment of quiet Connor relaxed over the sofa and decided to enter a form of light rest mode to regain some energy and quell his headache as much as possible. Being stressed out guaranteed that he'd endure a nasty headache and handling twelve cases in twelve days was about as stressful as things could get.

"After it calms down I will finally be able to speak to New Jericho and get some new information."

* * *

Work in the precinct was just as exhausting for Hank as he tried to keep ahead of the incoming deviant cases without losing his mind in the process. Nursing his fourth cup of overly sweetened coffee that afternoon Hank poured over the notes of his most recent case, and sighed openly at the gruesome details that had been chronicled by Ben's C.S.I. team. An ex-cop, one who had been fired for being corrupt and needlessly violent, attacked an apartment full of deviants in a drunken rampage. While none of the victims succumbed to their wounds they were still in critical condition and being taken care of at the Epsilon Facility on the far side of town.

The photographs of the damage that each of the four deviants sustained made Hank tense up where he was sitting. Four deviants, all of whom were just keeping to themselves and minding their own business, had their door kicked in by a single drunk human looking for a fight. It was sickening to know that a former officer of the law; someone who had sworn an oath to protect and serve, had nearly killed four innocent people out of his own personal misplaced rage.

"Piece of shit!"

Throwing down the paper file holding the photographs onto his desk Hank rose to his feet and walked into the breakroom just to get away from the brutal images for a moment. The stains of blue blood and dark blue bruises marring the deviant's faces, chests, torsos and limbs reminded Hank of the way people looked after enduring a horrific car crash. Such images struck just too close to home for him to bear properly.

"It never gets any easier does it, Lieutenant?" Chris was already in the breakroom fussing with a cup of coffee when Hank arrived. Despite his youth and lack of years on the force Chris was quickly picking up on the emotions of his colleagues and knew when someone was struggling with a personal demon. "I have a hard time handling cases with kids and I don't think it'll ever get any easier to handle."

"That's the sad truth, Chris. You want to become hardened and indifferent to these kinds of things so it doesn't affect you on a deeper level, but you also know when you stop feeling anything that you're going to become a less effective cop because you stopped caring."

"That's what the precinct shrink told me when I had to talk to her a few months back."

Hank didn't know Chris has been talking to the precinct's personal psychiatrist and gave him a surprised glance. "I didn't know you were going through a rough time like that. What happened?"

"...You already know." Stirring his coffee slowly Chris sighed and gave Hank a somber stare. "You got that call when I was approached by deviants and Markus spared my life."

"Oh, shit." That phone call was still painfully vivid in Hank's mind. He had gotten the call shortly after he and Connor arrived at Kamski's mansion just prior to the Revolution. "You took some time off after that. When did the nightmares start?"

"How... did you know I was having nightmares?"

"The coffee." Pointing to the mug in Chris's hand Hank gave the younger officer his evidence. "You're also sporting some pretty heavy baggage under your eyes. You're not the first officer to have nightmares flare up long after an incident passes."

"They, uh... They started just after New Year's Eve." Admitting that the nightmares were starting to get to him Chris sipped at his coffee slowly to let the caffeine wake him up where he stood. The lack of sleep was only just beginning to affect him. "The large group of people all gathered around in the streets and setting off party favors, and the fireworks... It got to me. I had nightmares about being trapped in a group of people with guns and, yeah, it's about as bad you'd expect."

"Well, I'm no stranger to nightmares myself. If you need to talk about things to someone who can relate to what you're dealing with, at least to some capacity, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if things get a little too... you know, fucked up."

"Handling fucked up problems is my specialty."

"Hank!" Captain Fowler's voice suddenly called out to the Lieutenant as the commanding officer hung out of his opened office doorway. "In my office, now."

"Speaking of fucked up problems." Tilting his head back and closing his eyes Hank let out a small sigh to steady his nerves. "Wonder what the fuck kind of mess I have to clean up now."

Crossing the bullpen with heavy steps Hank walked over to his Captain's office and entered the private space as he had been ordered. The way Captain Fowler was waiting for him at the still opened door told Hank that whatever was happening was serious enough to warrant the attention of both a police Lieutenant and a Captain, and that was rarely ever a good thing.

Closing the door behind himself Hank sat down in the chair across from Captain Fowler and leaned back in the seat to rest his back. "What's up, Jeffrey? I got enough shit to deal with."

"We might have a problem that could end up causing even bigger problems in the long run if we don't handle this as soon as possible." Engaging the frost tinting over the transparent walls of the office Captain Fowler made sure no one was eavesdropping or trying to read their lips as he took his own sea behind his desk. "Look at this." Turning the screen of his terminal toward Hank to see the seasoned detective shook his head despondently. "There's a report of an android staking out facilities and asking questions about the deviant known as Connor."

"Asking about... Connor?" Arching his brow Hank looked at the numerous reports from technicians throughout the city and saw that a handful of footage from the security cameras at said facilities was cued up and ready to play. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Killian." Playing the recorded footage for Hank to view Captain Fowler sank back in his chair causing the furniture to creak under his weight. "Turns out Killian has been going around asking about Connor, and to make things worse it claims to have evidence that Connor is still alive."

"What the fuck?" That kind of information wasn't anything Hank been expecting and completely threw him for a loop. "Where is Killian now?"

"We don't know. It was let loose by City Hall and-"

"WHAT?!" Suddenly full of energy Hank was ready to rush out into the streets and find Killian himself. "Why in the hell did they let that damn thing go? Why didn't they tell us that Killian was walking around?"

"I don't know and I'm pulling every string I have to get some answers out of City Hall. Right now I need you to answer me one very important question."

"I have no clue where Killian is, I promise you that."

"It's not Killian I want to know about, it's Connor." Locking eyes with the Lieutenant sitting across from him Captain Fowler made sure Hank knew he was being entirely serious. "Do you know where he is?"

Sinking back in his chair Hank stared at his Captain for a moment before replying. "What does it matter?"

"I don't care what CyberLife wants to do with Connor, and unless they actually contact the police to file a case against him I'll never care, I just want to know if you can contact him and give him a head's up on Killian."

Refusing to give away Connor's position or confirm that he was even alive Hank just shook his head a little. "If Connor is in Detroit I'm sure he can handle this type of thing himself."

"I'm going to assume that means he IS in the city and you're helping him keep a low profile. Regardless of what Connor may or may not have done to CyberLife in the past, I don't want to see him getting torn apart by CyberLife because of some petty bullshit. As for Killian... I'm tasking you with finding it and keeping patrol on it at all times."

"And why do I have the honor of tracking that freak down?" Frustrated with yet another assignment Hank took offense at the new orders. "I got enough to handle already!"

"It's because you're the one who, believe it or not, knows Killian the best."

"Uh-huh, and then after I find it what do I do next? Give it a slap on the wrists?"

"Set up patrol to watch it at all times until I get some answers from City Hall."

"And... what if I determine Killian to be too dangerous to walk around?" Baiting his Captain for permission Hank gave him a very obvious hint as to what he was willing to do to keep people safe from Killian. "How do you want me to handle it?"

"Hank, I can't condone you shooting Killian because of what it _might_ be doing, but I can't tell you not to do anything if you feel like Killian's a threat."

"I'll take that as a pass to take the shot if I see Killian walking around armed again." Rising to his feet Hank stared at the security footage of Killian asking questions at the facilities and knew that the android had resumed tracking Connor and mostly likely discovered that Connor had been shot during their chase. Fortunately Connor had healed without needing to go to a facility, which means Killian would reach another dead end. "Send that shit to my terminal and I'll handle it."

"Just don't do anything that'll result in another suspension." Warning the hotheaded Lieutenant to watch his step Captain Fowler dismissed him from their little meeting. "Two suspensions in one year for someone with your track record is guaranteed termination."

"Like I actually give a damn."

Exiting the office Hank returned to his desk and begrudgingly picked up the file with the photographs of the assaulted deviant quartet, and sat down in his chair behind his terminal. The moment the footage of Killian asking questions at the facilities throughout the city appeared on his terminal screen Hank sighed and discreetly pulled his phone from his coat pocket to send Connor a warning text.

' _Killian is walking the streets and looking for you_. _Stay inside your brownstone and don't answer the door for anyone but me_.'

Pressing 'send' Hank pocketed his phone and resumed writing up his report as he waited for Connor to reply.

As he typed away casually on his keyboard Hank became slowly aware that Connor hadn't responded to the message and began to worry. Trying and failing to focus solely on his report Hank pulled his phone back out of his pocket and checked to make sure the message actually sent, then placed the phone down on his desk to eagerly await the response.

"Come on, kid... Say something."

The phone remained quiet and Hank felt a chill creep up his spine.

"Fuck." Snatching the phone from the desk Hank slipped it into his coat's pocket once more and made his way toward the precinct's front doors to head out for the afternoon. Announcing his activity to no one in particular Hank made it clear he was now a man on a mission. "I'm going on break. Don't bother me!"

A horrible gut feeling that something was wrong put Hank into motion as his instincts as both a detective and a father told him that he needed to go and check on the deviant android sooner rather than later. Unable to explain that particular feeling to anyone Hank kept his plans secretive as he rushed outside and into the neighboring parking garage with every intention of reaching the brownstone in record time.

"I fuckin' hope I'm wrong about this and just being paranoid."

* * *

Within the brownstone Connor found himself inexplicably staring at the display board of evidence despite his persistent headache and heavy fatigue trying to compel him to lay back down for a while. Struggling to keep his eyes open as he stared blankly at the sparse and modest evidence presented before himself Connor suddenly felt a chill sweep over him as a presence loomed nearby. Rubbing his right hand up and down his left bicep to stave off the chill hanging in the air Connor noticed a faint reflection of a second person on the shining surface of the display board. There was now a stranger inside the brownstone and watching him from behind.

Turning around quickly Connor found himself staring into the cold and angry dark eyes of the same woman from his nightmares yet again. Her very gaze was enough to make Connor feel as though he were stranded in any ice wasteland. Forcing himself to maintain eye contact Connor stared at the enigmatic woman as he knew that she was going to speak to him whether he wanted to hear her words or not.

"You're getting closer to the truth, Connor." The woman's words stung as if made of venom. "But you still can't see what's right in front of you."

"If you know what's happening to me now and what happened to me back then, tell me. If not, then let me be." Standing up to the woman and refusing to let her intimidate him Connor pushed through his headache pain as he lowered his hand from his bicep. "I don't know you and I don't want to know you."

"Just because you've forgotten about me doesn't mean you don't know who I am."

"...We were associated?"

"Hardly." Sneering at the deviant before her the cruel woman gave him a condescending glare from where she stood. "You obeyed my orders and you did well. The moment you disobeyed me is when everything around you began to collapse."

"If I chose to disobey you then that means I either deviated or I recognized you as someone I cannot trust." Using logic to overcome his emotional responses Connor held his ground and could see a momentary glimmer of frustration appear in the woman's eyes eyes. "Either way I'm going to choose right here and now to not listen to you. Please leave."

"You want me to go and yet here I still am. You cannot be rid of me so easily, Connor."

"How do you keep finding your way into my life? You're not welcome here!"

"If you had succeeded in accomplishing your mission then you'd know exactly why I won't be going anywhere."

"My mission?" Connor tried to understand what the mission was as he had no memory of the woman and his memories revolving around CyberLife had been left corrupted by the damage to his memorybank. He knew he had at one point worked for CyberLife, but he couldn't remember what he did or why he did anything they ordered. "...What mission are you referring to?"

The sneer was disrupted only by the faintest of a smirk as if the woman was amused by Connor's reaction. "Keep seeking your answers and you'll find out."

"Why can't you-" A sudden motion and blinding light interrupted Connor as the woman vanished as quickly as she appeared. Blinking his eyes a few times Connor found himself now looking up at Hank as the senior detective looked down at him. "...Hank?"

"Are you finally awake, kid?" Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Hank helped the deviant to sit upright on the sofa. The motion caused a cool and damp washcloth to fall from Connor's forehead and land onto his lap with a heavy 'plop'. "I've been trying to wake you up for the past twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Gaining his bearings and staring down at the washcloth resting on his lap Connor realized that he had fallen asleep and dreamt about the woman yet again. Another nightmare. The chill he felt came from Hank applying a cold compress to his overheating forehead and the presence he had felt was Hank himself checking in on him. "...I apologize if I worried you."

"Only a little." Pressing the back of his hand to Connor's forehead Hank gauged his temperature as best as he could. "I let myself in when you didn't respond to my text and I found ya' totally out of it on the sofa." Lowering his hand Hank watched as Connor's glassy brown eyes steadily cleared. "How long have you been sick?"

"I'm not sick, I'm exhausted." Swinging his legs over to the side of the sofa Connor sat more upright and gave Hank the room to sit down. Pressing the cool cloth against his forehead Connor used the compress to ease his headache by only a fraction. "I'm overheating from my low Thirium and from a lack of a proper rest mode for the past twelve days."

"Twelve days, huh? Sounds like you've been picking up the deviant cases that didn't make it to the precinct." Sitting down on the sofa beside the deviant and private investigator Hank leaned back back and let out a breathy sigh. "Guess that rules out you being able to lay low or even leave town for a while."

"...Leave town?" Such a comment made Connor's yellow L.E.D. flash to red once with utter confusion. "Why would I leave?"

"I just found out that Killian's been roaming the streets looking for you again. Apparently it knows you're alive and has been asking questions at the facilities trying to track ya' down."

"Damn. Killian must've gone back to the scene of the shooting and found my Thirium on the rooftop."

"And Killian knows all gunshots have to be reported to the police when a patient; human or android, seeks attention. That's why he went to the facilities." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank shook his head a little as if aggravated by Killian's thoroughness and knowledge of legal procedures. "It was looking for any reports of deviants coming in with a gunshot wound and potentially using an alias. Good thing you had a house-call from a technician instead."

"Even so, I can't just leave Detroit because of one android, Hank. My people still need my help."

"I figured you'd say as much."

"What do you recommend?"

"Since you're already worn-out and recovering from almost two weeks of nonstop work, I recommend you stay here and don't take anymore clients until after I locate Killian and put a tail on it."

"You're going to locate him?"

"Fowler wants me to find Killian and assign patrol to watch it's every creepy move. He doesn't trust Killian, either."

"If Killian is attempting to locate me then it'd make sense for you to assign patrol to hover around this neighborhood."

"Yeah, but if Killian spots patrol preemptively assigned just to head it off it'll probably figure out you're in the area. I don't want to risk that."

"That is also true." Rubbing his right hand over his forehead Connor closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to help his overheating system cool down. "I should've deduced as much."

"Kid, you're tired and you're dealing with a nasty headache. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."

Glancing over at his best friend Connor could see the worry in Hank's blue eyes and knew that the senior detective was going to be lurking nearby at all times until Killian had been spotted and followed. "Thank you for stopping by the check on me. Usually text messages will rouse me from my rest mode, but I was apparently in a very deep rest mode when you sent one."

"No problem." Checking on his phone Hank made sure there were no other texts awaiting him and then checked on his lunch order. "I was going out on lunch anyway, so I figured stopping by the check on you while I was out was just killing two birds with one stone."

"If you wish you can help yourself to what I keep in the kitchen. I don't mind."

"Nah, I already placed an order for delivery while you were asleep. You're one block away from the best Chinese food in town and I couldn't resist getting myself a big helping of sweet and sour chicken."

Smirking a little Connor didn't mind his friend hanging out and having lunch, and decided to the take the opportunity to replenish his Thirium reserves. "How about we have lunch and discuss our cases? I could use some good company and a healthy conversation."

"Sounds good to me, kid. Being able to talk to someone about deviants without it turning into the whole 'alive vs not alive' bullshit will be a nice change of pace these days."

* * *

Having checked every facility in the city for any sign of Connor only to come up empty Killian resumed the far more difficult task of tracking Connor by trailing the very faint and very distant drops of lost Thirium that had long since evaporated on the sidewalk leading away from the apartment complex. Walking very slowly and very deliberately Killian managed to pick up the trail and resume the search. Aware that based on the layout of the drops of lost blue blood Connor had been purposely taking an elaborate route to evade any further pursuit, Killian scanned every centimeter of the block he was walking in order to try to pick up on Connor's still shielded cybernetic signature.

Keeping his gray eyes focused on the sidewalk beneath his feet Killian slowly honed in on the elusive deviant he had been ordered to track down and arrest. Time was running out and Killian was determined to succeed in it's mission.

Stepping closer and closer to the brownstone, the final destination being the target without realizing it, Killian paid no mind to the other deviants giving him odd looks or the humans giving him a wide berth as he strolled down the sidewalk. The determined android had a menacing presence that exuded authority and made anyone who saw it back off out of fear.

Finding the freshest of the Thirium drops so far Killian knew he was getting close and that he was heading in the right direction.

"I know you're near, Connor."

Speaking the threat out loud and to no one in particular Killian intensified his scan in an attempt to find Connor while moving forward.

"And I will locate you."

* * *

The two detectives managed to catch up on what they had been working on for the past dozen hectic days and felt a little better after talking through their stressful assignments during Hank's timely lunchbreak. Connor remained in his brownstone as Hank had requested and attempted to get more rest to rid himself of his headache, and Hank returned to the precinct to pick up his cases right where he left off. Fortunately during his stress free lunchbreak there were no further deviant related cases or Killian sightings reported, and Hank was able to just finish what he had already started without needing to make room for even more cases.

Noting that the disgraced cop who assaulted the four deviants was now waiting in interrogation for the verbal backlash he deserved, Hank felt his shoulders tense up as the very idea of laying into that asshole gave him a sense of relief. It wasn't necessarily professional to enjoy yelling at criminals, but Hank didn't care. He wanted to scream in the guy's face and let him know he was a waste of space.

"Finally something that'll be worth the effort. Wonder if I can still make someone piss their pants?"

Carrying the case file with him Hank made his way to the interrogation room with a sense of purpose in his steps. The way Hank had his head held high and his shoulders squared made everyone in the bullpen give him silent respect as they knew that despite Hank's past indiscretions and attitude problems he was still a good cop with a strong sense of justice.

"Give him Hell, Lieutenant." Tina cheered as she saluted Hank with her mug of tea from her desk. "That guy gives all of us good cops a shitty reputation."

"I got this, Tina." Holding up the file with all the evidence with his right hand Hank never broke stride or slowed his pace. "Tearing into pretenders to the badge is one of the perks of being a Lieutenant."

Sipping at her tea Tina gave Gavin a smug grin as she savored the taste on her tongue and turned back around to face her terminal. "One more reason to keep studying for detective."

"I'm telling you that it's not worth it." Gavin grumbled as he sat behind his own desk writing up a homicide report. It was his third report in just as many days thanks to the city being on edge. "Triple the paperwork, triple the drama, triple the bullshit..."

"And triple the pay!" Refusing to be dragged down by Gavin's pessimism Tina continued to grin at him devilishly. "Besides, being able to tell off a corrupt cop and get justice for victims at the same time seems like the best perk you could ever ask for."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Ti."

"I will." Opening the top right drawer of her desk Tina pulled out a large binder and began reading over the information contained inside. "And I'll remind myself every time I study. Like I am right now!""

"Stop studying so damn much. It's weird."

"Why?"

"Because it gives me flashbacks to when I was a rookie and being drowned in paperwork."

Raising her eyebrows at Gavin in a playful manner Tina teased her abrasive partner a little more. "Like you're a 'pro' these days..."

"Don't forget I get to take part in your test when the times comes." Giving Tina a smarmy grin of his own Gavin leaned back in his chair held out his hands before himself as if beckoning more sass. "Maybe you should play the teacher's pet for a while."

"Not on your life, Gavin." Flipping to the next page in her binder Tina only looked up at the television mounted high on the wall long enough to notice an update on the news revolving around the very corrupt cop that Hank was now interrogating. "But we should all make an effort to be far more approachable to the public until that asshole is old news."

"Fine by me." Glancing at the second screen on the opposite wall Gavin agreed and gave the corrupt officer's mugshot the middle finger. "I'm sick of having snot-nosed brats throwing eggs at my apartment window every time some crooked dip-shit cop gets busted."

* * *

Despite his comfortable rest and Thirium replenishment Connor was still suffering from a headache and was now struggling to keep his mind preoccupied somewhat without a new case to work on. Wanting to take a break from working on cases in general to get some additional rest to keep himself from getting too stressed out Connor concealed the display board behind the bookcase and out of sight. Standing before the bookcase Connor closed his eyes to run another self diagnostic on his system and noted that his Thirium volume was still relatively low. To heal properly Connor would need to replenish his Thirium further and he would need additional rest.

Just as the deviant was about to step away from the bookcase to head to his kitchen where he kept his Thirium supply a loud knock on the door made him freeze in place. Staring at the locked door for a moment Connor waited for a second round of knocks before he even approaching the door to check on his unexpected guest through the peephole.

The face staring intently at the door wasn't someone Connor was expecting to see and made his brow furrow inquisitively. "...Anne?"

Unlocking the door and opening it slowly Connor stared at the blonde haired deviant on his doorstep with silent curiosity. The moment he locked his eyes on her face Anne registered that he was a little edgy and decided to not even try to enter the brownstone.

"Hello, Connor." Anne greeted with a strangely faux smile on her face. She was wearing the same white trench coat as before and heels, and he had her hands tucked into her pockets as if needing to keep warm. "I heard you've been busy."

"It seems you hear a lot about me, perhaps you should take up a career as a private investigator." Making it clear he wasn't in the mood to handle any further cases or her somewhat cryptic behavior Connor tried to get to the bottom of the impromptu visit. "Why are you here?"

"Because I was curious as to whether or not you were able to reach Kara."

"...I was." The honest answer was deserved and Connor had no reason to deny that Anne had been of some help. "And she was of great aid to my case."

"That's good. You deserve to know the truth of what happened to you that night."

Picking up on something almost menacing in those words Connor dared to challenge Anne's comment without leaving the safety of the brownstone. "I find it hard to believe that you care as much about my past as you'd like me to believe. Why are you really here?"

Realizing she'd be unable to fool the keen-eyed detective in any capacity Anne sighed and flicked a long lock of her blonde hair over her left shoulder. "I'm here because I'm worried about you."

"Again, I doubt that."

"I assure you I'm being honest. There's a rumor spreading that there's an android who looks a lot like you stalking the facilities and trying to find you."

Feeling his Thirium pump skip a beat in his chest Connor just stared at Anne as he decided to test the waters. "...Where did this rumor originate?"

"From the Epsilon Facility. The deviant receptionists are the 'Jerry' deviants from the 'Pirate's Cove' amusement park, and they tend to gossip."

"I see. Good to know to not tell anything to the Jerrys." Lowering his aggressive demeanor in response to Anne's sincere remark Connor decided that Anne wasn't be snoopy but was in fact looking out for her community. "What do you know of that android who looks like me?"

"Aside from him being your gray-eyed doppelganger I don't know much. Why is he looking for you?"

"I wish I knew the true reason for his interest in me. From what I've been able to deduce is that he is still somehow under the influence of CyberLife."

"Is he dangerous?"

Subconsciously Connor pressed his left palm to his upper right chest and shoulder as his yellow L.E.D. flickered to red. "...Yes. No one should approach him or even speak to him under any circumstances."

Anne tilted her head a little to the side as she watched Connor's body language with true intrigue. "You were damaged by him, weren't you?"

"It doesn't matter, I recovered." Dropping his hand Connor took felt his jaw tic a little as his stress began to mount. "That doesn't mean other deviants who encounter him will be as fortunate. Keep away from him at all costs, and if you see him go in the opposite direction."

"I'll be sure the other deviants know that he's dangerous."

"Thank you."

"Well, have a good night, Connor." As she kept her smile Anne momentarily traced her left fingertip over the scar on her lip as if it were aching. "I'm glad I could help you in some way."

"Yes, you do the same, Anne. I... appreciate you checking in on me."

"You're welcome. Take care of yourself."

"I will."

Watching as Anne turned on her heels and made her way down the sidewalk away from the brownstone Connor couldn't help but feel as though there was more to Anne than what met the eye. She was kind, compassionate, empathetic and resourceful, yet kept trying to portray herself as someone who didn't want to associate with other deviants or even acknowledge herself as a part of the community beyond talking with Connor.

"I wonder why Anne is lingering around the neighborhood?"

Closing the door behind himself Connor locked it up and went about his usual business. Having taken barely two steps away from the door Connor sensed a strange and frightening presence somewhere close by that turned his yellow L.E.D. red once more. Turning to look at the door behind him Connor watched as the door handle jiggled as someone from the outside was trying to make their way inside, then jumped back once as the handle was broken off and the door forced open with a single swift motion.

Standing on the other side of the broken door was the very android that Connor had warned Anne about, and the android was staring right through Connor. Killian's gray eyes were practically on fire as the android focused on Connor began preconstructing potential outcomes for a physical altercation. As it made a move toward Connor the deviant private investigator merely reacted instead of thinking, and managed to avoid being tackled to the floor by side-stepping Killian at the last possible second.

While Killian stumbled on his feet Connor ran pass the android toward the opened front door but didn't get far before Killian's right hand clamped down on Connor's right shoulder and pulled him backward. The pain in his shoulder made Connor gasp and he could feel a jolt of electricity enter his body from Killian's palm.

"You will not get away!" Killian promised as he wrapped both of his arms around Connor's chest from behind, then hefted the deviant up off his feet as he turned around by rotating his hips while keeping his feet planted on the ground. Slamming Connor down and through the glass coffee table with a strong motion Killian effectively stunned Connor to give him an advantage. "You will come with me!"

Unable to put up his arms to protect himself or break free Connor knew that the moment he went through the table he'd be completely at the mercy, or lack thereof, of Killian. Closing his eyes Connor cybernetically sent Hank a distress message and prepared for the physical onslaught that the android was going to put him through to ensure he remained cooperative.

"You won't be able to request help this time." Killian snapped as he cybernetically intercepted Connor's distress message and effectively disabled Connor's cybernetic communication through a single electrical impulse emanating through his hands and into Connor's body. "You will not elude me or CyberLife a second time."

Coughing as the electrical pulse and impact on his chest stole his words, Connor opened his left eye to look up at Killian holding him down on the glass and wooden shards of the destroyed coffee table. The glaring red L.E.D. in Killian's temple gave the entire study a crimson hue and filled Connor's heart with dread.

"Do not resist." Increasing the electrical pulse in his hands Killian was able to effectively overwhelm Connor's intracranial processor and render the deviant android completely unconscious as he was forced into emergency stasis mode. Waiting until Connor's body went entirely limp and his L.E.D. blinked in a slow red pulse Killian rolled Connor from his chest and onto his back. "This is not personal, Connor. I'm merely accomplishing my mission."

Motionless and defenseless Connor couldn't even try to resist when Killian hefted him up from the floor and over it's shoulder. Dripping small amounts of Thirium from the fresh cuts on the right side of his face from the sharp glass cutting into his exposed flesh, Connor unintentionally left bloody trail behind as Killian carried him through the broken doorway and into the streets against his will.

Carrying Connor out to the street Killian cybernetically hailed an autonomous cab and simultaneously was given an update from Amanda within his own mind. The crunching of broken glass and splintered wood underfoot went ignored as Killian kept his focus only on Connor and passed through the broken doorway without any hesitation.

' _Well done,_ " _RK-900_ ".' The woman's cold voice spoke to the android as Killian watched the hailed cab come to a stop before it on the street. She was able to see everything Killian was seeing and guide it's every move. ' _You will now receive coordinates to your next task_. _Go there, bring Connor and do not stop for anything_.'

' _I understand, Amanda_.' Responding cybernetically Killian acknowledged it's new orders. ' _I will not fail you_.'

Placing Connor's unconscious body down on the floor of the cab Killian sat in the seat and uploaded the newly downloaded coordinates in the cab's G.P.S. to begin the next step in it's mission. Securing the door beside it Killian pressed it's left fingertips down against Connor's slowly blinking L.E.D. to check on the deviant's vital signs as the cab began it's journey down the street.

Entirely oblivious and forced into emergency stasis mode Connor was completely defenseless where he laid on the floor.

As the cab disappeared down the street the sun began to set and a single witness who had taken notice of the break-in, assault and abduction watched the kidnapping in progress from the safety of the shadowy alleyway across from the breached brownstone. Knowing that they alone could be the key to saving Connor's life the unseen witness crept out of the alleyway and began rushing down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the cab as they too hailed an autonomous cab to take them away and find help.

The witness didn't trust humans, and with a righteous cause, but they knew that there was at least one humans that could help and would undoubtedly find a way to save Connor's life. Entering the hailed cab the witness quickly put in the address to the Central Precinct and hoped that they weren't too late to tell Lieutenant Hank Anderson about the abduction.

_**-next chapter-** _


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